


Consciousness

by Maicee



Series: Consciousness [1]
Category: Dangan Ronpa, Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, Super Dangan Ronpa 2
Genre: Dangan Ronpa Spoilers, Dangan Ronpa: Another Episode Spoilers, Multi, Super Dangan Ronpa 2 Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-28
Updated: 2015-08-15
Packaged: 2018-04-06 14:50:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 20
Words: 72,399
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4225998
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Maicee/pseuds/Maicee
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Koizumi Mahiru wasn't the first to wake up, nor would she be the last. All she really knew was that she could no longer rely on herself and herself alone to fix her problems. They all needed to work together and leave the despair far behind them.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

The first time Koizumi Mahiru drifted into consciousness, she was startled by the sound of a loud beeping. It seemed so close yet so distant, but neither was enough to keep her awake for long. She slowly slid back into dreamland.

The second time she woke up, she actually managed to open her eyes. Her vision was blurry and dark patches flashed in front of her. There were figures standing near her and she could only just overhear what they were saying.

“You’re the only one who can do it right now,” said one voice, a male.

Another person began to respond, but her eyes fluttered shut before she could register what they were saying.

The third time was the last time. She somehow felt stronger, more aware of herself and her surroundings. After mustering enough energy, she dragged herself upwards so she was in a sitting position. She didn’t get very far, the back of her head calling out to her via a sharp pain. Her hand instinctively reached behind her, the other gripping the edge of the bed as she cried out in pain.

Mere seconds later, she felt two warm hands gently lower her down so she was once again lying with her head on the pillow. The headache she had felt dulled and she closed her eyes as it ebbed away. She opened them again only when the pain had gone away, but if she hadn’t been laying down she would have jumped back.

A pair of light eyes peered down at her in worry, forehead creased. That face, she was sure she had seen it before, but she couldn’t place where. She was still a little disoriented, so she blamed it on that. Hell, she hardly knew where she was.

“Just rest,” the boy said, shoulder length hair falling in front of his face. She was sure it was dyed as it was a startling shade of pink. “It’ll hurt more if you try to do too much too quickly. Or at least that’s what I’ve been told.”

Instead of relaxing, she frowned. “Who are you, exactly?”

The boy hesitated, then grinned a toothy grin. Mahiru was taken aback by the sharpness of his teeth. “You don’t remember anything yet, huh? Souda Kazuichi.”

Mahiru swallowed before responding. “I’m… Uh, who am I?” she asked weakly.

“Wow, you _are_ out of it, ain’t ya? You’re Koizumi Mahiru.”

As soon as his voice wrapped around the last syllable of her name, it all came flooding back. The island, her class, that _damn bear_ – and feeling a striking pain in the back of her head before everything went black.

Her body trembled as she coughed, her brain trying to process all this sudden information. She couldn’t help but sit up once more, ignoring the pain that stung when she moved. She didn’t want to simply lie there and rest anymore.

“You okay?” Kazuichi asked, hand hovering above her shoulder as if he was afraid to touch her.

Mahiru’s coughing died down as she looked up at him. “Souda?”

Kazuichi beamed again. “Yep, looks like you remember. Thought you would soon.”

Instead of replying, Mahiru chose to look around, taking in her surroundings. The room she was in was stark white, completely pristine, and the word ‘hospital’ flashed in her mind. It would make sense, looking at the bed and how she was connected to several machines. Was it just her or did she seem skinnier? Her hair was certainly longer. She wondered how long she had been lying there.

“Okay, I’m not sure how reliable your information is going to be, but what happened?” she finally asked Kazuichi, all her opinions of the boy resurfacing.

If he noticed her insult, he didn’t show it. “Depends what you mean. There are way too many things that happened.”

Mahiru watched as he sat in an armchair by her bed, folding his legs underneath him as he propped a thick notebook on top of them. He was definitely different than she remembered, slightly taller and leaner, glasses now perched upon the bridge of his nose. The pink in his hair had faded, no longer as vibrant as it had once been.

She looked down. “Well, I assume I was unconscious or, well, dead, perhaps? Just tell me everything that happened after I… After I left.”

“It may take a while…” Kazuichi stuck out his chin and looked to the side, obviously thinking. “Where to begin… Okay, I know. Just don’t interrupt ‘cause it’s a _long_ story.”

He began his tale, beginning from when he found her body. She was shocked that Peko, or at least the Peko she had gotten to know, had done such a thing, but it made more sense as the story unfolded. She didn’t know how she felt about Fuyuhiko yet, but that could wait. There were more pressing matters, such as Hiyoko’s murder and the fact that Mikan had been the one to execute it as well as Nagito’s grand plan. As much as she wanted to stop him and ask questions, she held her tongue, knowing he was getting there.

All of her previous questions died on her tongue as she heard about Super High School Level Despair and the simulation only to be replaced by new ones. It explained how she was still alive and why she looked different. She scrunched her nose. When was the last time she’d had a shower?

Kazuichi’s story ended with them exiting the simulation, only five of them left conscious in the real world. “That’s about it for Monokuma.”

She remained silent for a few seconds, playing with her blankets. “So… Who’s woken up so far?”

“It took a few months, but the first person awake was Ibuki. Then it was Hanamura, Tsumiki – that was a bit more challenging, considering the despair disease. When they woke up, they were taken by three of those Future Foundation members I told you about for therapy and examinations. After that, Tanaka woke up, then Nidai, then Pekoyama. Instead of the Future Foundation members taking them, Sonia, Owari, and Kuzuryuu looked after them.”

Mahiru tilted her head. “They were deemed healthy enough to take care of them?”

Kazuichi shrugged. “We were fine by that point, and we felt that they would do better with them anyway. There are a couple of members from the Future Foundation that aren’t as… patient, so to speak.”

Mahiru thought that was a bit rich coming from him, but she held her tongue. “Then who woke up?”

“You,” was Kazuichi’s simple response. “And somehow I’ve been put in charge of you. Dunno why. I mean, you never liked me, but there was no one else, honestly.”

It wasn’t that she didn’t like him, or at least that was what she wanted to say, but the words died on her lips. She wasn’t a fan of men of his nature, that was true, but he didn’t seem so bad right now. It wouldn’t be surprising if the recent (or maybe not so recent anymore) events had matured him, if only a little.

Instead of commenting, she shifted the topic. “And Hinata? Who’s he looking after?”

“No one, or at least no one yet,” Kazuichi said, fiddling with the corner of his page. “He’s waiting for Komaeda to wake up. He and Naegi – he’s the sort of de facto leader of the six – are in charge of him when he wakes up.” He lowered his voice. “That’s going to be a whole lot of fun, I bet.”

There it was: his immature side.

With all of that out of the way, Mahiru decided to get down to what was important. “So, when can I have a shower?”

“Uh…” Kazuichi looked at his watch. “The others shouldn’t be busy, so I’ll get Sonia in here and she’ll help you.”

Mahiru raised her eyebrows. “I’ll need help?”

Kazuichi laughed. “Trust me, you will. Your legs will feel horrible when you get up. It happened to all of us. Hinata and Kuzuryuu ended up falling over each other and rolling out the door when they woke up.”

His laughter was contagious, and she couldn’t help but chuckle quietly as she imagined the scene in her mind. “Okay, I’ll wait here for Sonia.”

Kazuichi left, being replaced by Sonia only five minutes later. The princess didn’t seem too different, though now her clothes had changed, and there were some bandages on her legs. Mahiru couldn’t help but wonder why they were there, hoping they were there as a simple fashion statement.

“Koizumi-san!” Sonia said, face glowing. “I’m so happy to see you’re awake. I trust Souda-san filled you in?”

Mahiru nodded. “Yes, he did. It was a bit of a shock.”

Sonia’s face fell slightly as she walked over to the bed. “It was for all of us, but we’re all making amends.” She let out a sigh and fixed her expression, forcing a smile. “Let’s get you cleaned up though, yes?”

Kazuichi was soon proven right, Mahiru’s legs giving way as soon as she stood up. She felt like her legs were maid of jelly, and she couldn’t help but wobble the entire way to the bathroom, which was attached to the hospital room itself. It was black and white, reminding her of a certain maniacal bear. She had to close her eyes and look away for a few seconds.

It took longer than anticipated for her to strip her clothes, clothes which were different than she had expected. They were the same as her normal clothes for the most part, but they were ripped, and she was pretty sure those were blood stains on the hem of her dress. Her stomach churned at the thought.

The water was warm, inviting, and it was almost as if it was healing her legs, as she was able to gather enough strength to stand up straight under the showerhead. She refused Sonia’s help, preferring to wash herself, though the blonde did hand her the shampoo when it was needed. She was grateful to have someone with her despite her being able to take care of herself. One could never be too careful in situations like theirs.

As soon as she was done, she was handed some clean clothes. They were simple and to her taste, a simple blouse and skirt. They were comfortable and light, perfect for someone with her weakened body.

Once she was as clean as she could be, Sonia led her back to her bed, letting her sit on the edge of it. “It’s almost dinner time. Do you wish to come down? Hanamura-san is cooking for everyone!”

Mahiru was about to decline the offer, but her stomach made up her mind for her. At the grumbling sound, she flushed and mumbled a, “That sounds nice.”

Sonia grinned and held out her arm. Mahiru took it with a small smile, and she was glad for the support as she still felt somewhat stiff now that the warm water had begun to dry. They left the room and entered the hallway, which was dark and quiet. Mahiru noticed that her door had her name on it, the other doors in the corridor having their own nameplates.

“The kitchen is downstairs,” Sonia said, leading her to a stairway. Artificial light was beginning to flood through, illuminating the end of the hallway. “I’ll help you down.”

It didn’t take too long to get downstairs, though she did have to take one stair at a time and hold onto the hand rail. The smell of meat and rice propelled her forward, and it was clear to anyone that she was eager for a meal.

The dining room reminded her of a fairytale, even though it was rather small compared to the cafeteria back on the island. The walls were yellow and decorated with paintings, baskets with flowers and plants inside dangling from the ceiling. It was very vibrant and bright, nothing like the hospital above them. It was the kind of scenery Mahiru needed to see.

Ibuki was currently the only person at the table, her guitar lying on the table in front of her. Mahiru was sure this counted as bad table manners, but she didn’t get a chance to say anything as the musician looked up and saw her.

Bounding over with a huge smile on her face, Ibuki pulled Mahiru in a tight hug. “Mahiru-chan, Mahiru-chan, Mahiru-chan! You’re awake!” she squealed.

“Ibuki, I’m still recovering,” Mahiru coughed out.

“Oopsie-daisies!” Ibuki said, laughing nervously as she released Mahiru.

The three girls sat down at the large table as they waited for the others to arrive. Sonia explained that everyone was busy doing their own thing, the Future Foundation members being particularly swamped with work. Mahiru wondered just how much stuff needed to be done.

Five minutes later, Teruteru emerged from the kitchen, bringing out trays of food. Mahiru was surprised to see that he’d had a growth spurt, though he was still fairly short. She also couldn’t help but notice a few scars around his neck, covered by the collar of his chef attire.

When he spotted Mahiru, he grinned. “Koizumi! You’re awake! Sounda told me you might be coming down, but I didn’t realize he meant tonight.”

“Thanks, Hanamura-san,” Mahiru said with a small smile.

The sound of other voices drifted into the dining room, and from the doorway by the stairs, another lot of students walked in. It didn’t take Mahiru long to recognize them all: Kazuichi, Mikan, Akane, and Nekomaru. Kazuichi was the only one who didn’t seem surprised at Mahiru’s appearance at the table. Instantly, several people rushed towards her all at once.

“A-Ah, Koizumi-san!” Mikan stuttered out. “Are you injured anywhere? Why are you out of bed? Did I say you could get out of bed? Wait, I did, didn’t I? I’m so sorry!”

Despite what Kazuichi had said, Mikan seemed normal enough to Mahiru. She must have been cured while she was asleep, and it was nice to see her back to normal. She didn’t want to meet the version of Mikan who had killed both Hiyoko and Ibuki.

“I’m fine, Tsumiki-san, honest,” Mahiru insisted. “I’m just a little tired.”

Akane and Nekomaru were on her other side, both wearing matching smiles. Out of all of them, Mahiru was sure Nekomaru had changed the most. Part of him was robotic now, sleek metal positioned where his torso and arms were meant to be. Akane was still the same, though she was now skinnier than before.

“Well, well, well, look who it is,” Akane said, scratching her ear. “Nice to see ya, Koizumi.”

“We took great care of your photographs while you were gone,” Nekomaru said, gesturing to a notice board behind them.

Mahiru knew she should have noticed it before, but she hadn’t. Somehow, all of the pictures she had taken during the simulation had survived and were now printed and posted for everyone to see. The thought made her smile, and she was glad her talents hadn’t gone to waste. She had loved how the pictures had turned out, so it was like a miracle to her that they were now in front of her like they were.

“Thanks, everyone,” she said, turning back towards the table.

“Where’s Gundam?” Sonia asked Kazuichi as he sat across from her. Mahiru noted the use of the breeder’s first name.

Kazuichi grabbed some food from the middle of the table, putting it on his own plate. “He’s still feeding his hamsters. He’ll be here soon.”

Mahiru took some food for herself, only a small amount, as her mind began to wander. There had been a time when Kazuichi would have whined about Sonia paying more attention to Gundam than to him, or at least would have seemed unhappy, but that was not the case. She wondered what had changed, once again chalking it up to him maturing.

Minutes later, Gundam and Hajime walked in. Mahiru was pleased to see the Four Dark Devas perched on Gundam’s shoulders.

Hajime was the first to see her, greeting her as he sat next to Kazuichi. “It’s great to see you awake, Koizumi.”

Kazuichi hadn’t gone into too much detail about Hajime’s identity, but whoever he used to be, he was back to how she knew him. As much as she called him ‘Unreliable Hajime’, it sounded as if he had gotten everyone out of some sticky situations, and she would have to thank him for that.

“Indeed,” Gundam concurred as he took his place beside Sonia. “Another has arisen from the depths.”

Hajime heaved a sigh as he began to cut his meat. “Kuzuryuu and Pekoyama are going to stop by later, Teruteru, since Peko wants to continue training. Naegi, Asahina, and Kirigiri are making their preparations to leave for the end of the week.”

“They’re leaving?” Mahiru asked, then frowned. “Wait, aren’t there six of them?”

“They never stay here permanently,” Hajime said with ease, as if he had been asked these questions before. He probably had. “They check in on us every few weeks, then go back to the city. Naegi and Kirigiri come every time and Asahina and Togami switch places each time. Hagakure and Fukawa are currently in Towa City working from there, but they have been here before. They used to stay here all the time until the first five of us were able to stand on our feet and look after you all.”

Mahiru set her knife and fork down on her now clean plate. “And, uh, just out of curiosity, where are Kuzuryuu and Pekoyama-san? I was… thinking of taking them some food.”

Hajime gave her a small yet knowing smile. “They’re by the beach on the first island.” His expression changed to a look of concern. “Will you be able to make it, though?”

“I’ll take her,” Kazuichi said, mouth full of his last bite. “I’m just about done, so we can go in a second.”

Mahiru folded her arms. “Table manners, Souda!”

Kazuichi just laughed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that is the first chapter! I had some inspiration to write a story like this, and Mahiru was the character I wanted to focus on. I hope you all liked it.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some deep stuff happens at the beach, Teruteru is being Teruteru, and Togami is an errand boy.

Sonia insisted that Mahiru wear a coat outside, and while she protested at first, she couldn’t help but give in to the princess’s demands. While Sonia was usually cheerful and polite, her concern for others caused her to become a bit forceful. At least she had good intentions.

As soon as she and Kazuichi stepped outside, Mahiru couldn’t help but shiver. There was a strong breeze blowing through, but she tried to ignore it by looking around at her surroundings. She had been told that Jabberwock Island was relatively the same, but she didn’t remember this island.

Seeing her confused expression, Kazuichi said, “This is the third island. It opened up after your class trial.”

“I’m glad my death was beneficial to you,” she muttered bitterly.

Realizing he had said something wrong, Kazuichi rose one of his hands in protest, the other gripping the tray of food they had brought for Peko and Fuyuhiko. “No – no! No, I don’t mean it like that. I mean, well, you know what I mean. At least I hope you know what I mean.”

She sighed. “Yeah, yeah, I know. Sorry.”

The two started walking in silence, Mahiru remaining slightly behind Kazuichi so she knew where she was going. Her eyes analysed the buildings around her – the hotel, the music venue (what kind of name was the Titty Typhoon?), but soon drifted towards the sea. It was calm and still, and she wished she had her camera with her to take a picture.

Speaking of which, “Hey, Kazuichi, where’s my camera?”

Kazuichi fell into step beside her as he stepped onto the bridge between the central and third islands. “The Future Foundation took it, I’m pretty sure. It had images of that whole despair situation and they needed it for evidence or something. I dunno, I didn’t really ask.”

“Oh.” Mahiru felt a bit naked without her camera, as if she had been stripped of the most important part of her body. It was true, in a way. “That’s a shame. It was expensive.”

“I can make you a new one, if you want,” Kazuichi said, giving her a thumbs up gesture. “It’ll take some time, though, and I’ll have to stop working on my current project for a while…”

Mahiru ran her hand along the rope on the bridge’s side. “Well, if it’s going to be a bother…”

“It won’t be, I promise!” Kazuichi insisted. “It won’t take too long as long as I can find the right pieces.”

“Well, if that’s the case –” Mahiru stopped abruptly as her head ached once again. She let out a pained shriek as she pulled at her hair, willing for the pain to stop. She was vaguely aware of Kazuichi grabbing her arm in an attempt to steady her and stop her from hurting herself further, but she ignored him. The pain was all she could see.

She erupted into a coughing fit, collapsing on her knees as the pain faded away. The wood scratched her kneecaps, leaving marks on her fair skin, and she was sure they would bruise later. Her breathing evened out after a good minute, and once her breathing was even she stood up, finding it difficult to regain her balance.

Kazuichi once again took a hold of her arm, letting her go once she was standing upright. “What the hell was that?”

She glared at him. “No need to be so rude about it.” She sighed. “My head was acting up again. I guess I’m not as strong as I thought…”

“Scared the hell outta me,” Kazuichi said, voice low. “You’re doing better than some of the others were, though. It took Hanamura an entire week to feel like he wasn’t turning into a hush puppy and Ibuki still has some breathing problems.”

Mahiru crossed her arms and continued walking. “I hope the pain stops sooner rather than later.”

“It will,” Kazuichi said, though he didn’t sound so sure. “Right after this, though, you’re going back to bed.”

Mahiru was surprised at how firm he sounded. Sure, he didn’t have the confident tone of Sonia or Byakuya, but he seemed determined to get her better. She appreciated it.

The central island was mostly the same, but where the statue and countdown once were was now a building. She guessed it was the administration building that had come up so long ago. The light from inside was shining through, blindingly white against the hues of the night. She couldn’t hear anything from inside, but movement by the window told her someone was in there.

Catching her looking, Kazuichi said, “The Future Foundation members are in there. That’s where they usually are when they work. It’s pretty organized in there.”

Mahiru only nodded and continued walking to the first island, ignoring the dull ache that had slowly started to take over her brain. She knew she should probably tell Kazuichi, but she didn’t want him to worry. She would be fine, or at least she hoped she would be.

A wave of nostalgia hit her as she and Kazuichi stepped onto the first island. This had been the place she was at most, having preferred to loiter around the hotel during the day than explore. She ignored the hotel for now, however, already having a goal in mind. Kazuichi didn’t need to guide her any longer. She knew where she was going.

She saw Fuyuhiko and Peko before they had even finished passing the ranch. Peko had her sword drawn, and she was hitting some kind of shape. If Mahiru had to guess, she would say it was a practice dummy. Fuyuhiko (who, she was surprised to see, was sporting an eyepatch) was sitting under a palm tree, just watching her.

Kazuichi called out to the two of them so they would look up. “Hey! Guess who woke up today!”

Fuyuhiko stood up abruptly as soon as he saw Mahiru walking towards them. Peko didn’t react quite as strongly, but she slid her sword back into her sheath and went to stand by her master. Mahiru knew she was going to have to get used to seeing the two of them together.

“Koizumi!” Fuyuhiko said, looking her up and down as if hardly believing she was real.

Mahiru smiled and took the tray out of Kazuichi’s hand. “Here, I brought some food for you two.”

As Fuyuhiko accepted the food, Kazuichi looked over at Peko’s test dummy, which was lying limp and slightly crooked. “Oh, I’ll go fix that thing up for you, Pekoyama. Gimme a moment.”

Anyone would be able to see what he was doing, leaving them alone with each other to talk, but Mahiru was grateful for it nonetheless. The three of them watched for a moment as he took out some tools from his belt and got to work, starting with the dummy’s head.

Peko was the first to speak up. “So, shall we sit down?” She gestured towards the tree Fuyuhiko had been sitting under. Mahiru hadn’t realised there was a blanket there.

“Sure,” she said, and the three of them sat on the blanket. Mahiru sat across from the other two, and she couldn’t help but notice their knees touch as they crossed their legs. “So, uh, I wanted to talk to you two.”

Fuyuhiko sighed. “I had a feeling you would want to sooner or later.”

Mahiru sat up straighter. “Is that so?”

“I-I mean, you know…” Mahiru almost laughed at how flustered he sounded. “I knew it would be kinda weird since, y’know, we technically killed you.”

Peko’s chopsticks paused halfway to her mouth. “It wasn’t you who did it, young master. It was me.”

Fuyuhiko gave the swordswoman a look Mahiru couldn’t decipher, but it evidently meant something between the two as Peko’s eyes widened. “I mean, it wasn’t F-Fuyuhiko.”

Pleased with this, Fuyuhiko returned to his food.

“Well, yeah, I know, but no matter how you look at it you were both at fault. I’m not quite sure what I make of the situation yet, but Souda was telling me you were very apologetic after it happened, Kuzuryuu, and I know Peko was practically brought up believing that what she did was okay,” Mahiru said. “I mean, it doesn’t make it okay, but, well, you get what I’m saying.”

Fuyuhiko nodded slowly. “Yeah, I do. We’re working on that though, aren’t we?” He smiled at Peko who smiled back with pink cheeks.

Mahiru couldn’t help but smile along with them. “I’m glad.” She hesitated a little before continuing. “Also… I’m really sorry about what happened with your sister. Even if I don’t remember it, I unintentionally covered up a murder.”

“At least you didn’t actually murder someone,” Fuyuhiko said grimly. “My fucking anger just gets out of control.”

As he scrunched his fingers into a tight ball, Peko gently laid her hand over them. Her voice was soft as she said, “But we’re working on that too, remember?”

“If you guys ever need any help…” Mahiru left her offer open for them to interpret, though it was clear what she was going to say.

Fuyuhiko flashed her one of his crooked smiles, but now it was more sincere, more inviting. “Thanks, Koizumi, but you should really look after yourself first. Tsumiki told the rest of us it was possible you may experience some head pain for a while, and you do look kind of tired.”

Now that he mentioned it, she was beginning to feel rather drowsy. Her stomach was now full, so it was no longer keeping her awake, her body now focusing solely on how tired she was. “Yeah, I am kind of tired.”

“Time to get you back, then,” Kazuichi said, reappearing. The dummy was now standing upright again. “Come on, let’s go.”

Mahiru huffed. “I’m coming, I’m coming! Geez.”

* * *

 

The following morning, Mahiru woke up along with the sun. She had always had good sleeping patterns, though she had thought she would wake up later due to being so weak. She supposed it was due to going to bed early, as it hadn’t even been eight when she had returned with Kazuichi to the hospital headquarters.

In any case, she wasn’t going to wait for the others to wake up. Surely there was someone else awake at sunrise, right?

Sonia had generously given her a nightgown to wear, a white dress made of a very thin fabric. It felt like soft fingertips were gently caressing her skin, and she couldn’t help but think so as she pulled the covers off herself. The morning air was cold, so she wrapped herself in the jacket she had been given the previous evening.

She could hear the clattering of utensils coming from the kitchen accompanied by a low humming. It seemed Teruteru was already in the kitchen preparing breakfast, so she chose to go straight to the dining room. Teruteru’s food was worth waiting for, in her opinion, and she was even excited at she thought of what he might make for them.

Descending the stairs, she soon realized she wasn’t alone. Two people dressed in black suits were speaking in hushed voices around the table, sitting across from each other as they sipped their coffee. She didn’t recognise either of them, so she assumed they were two of the Future Foundation members.

They didn’t notice her presence until she sat down near them, right beside the one with spiky brown hair that reminded her of Hajime’s. He gave her a small smile while the lavender haired girl across from him nodded.

“Koizumi-san, it’s nice to see you awake,” the boy said, placing his mug down on the table. “I’m Naegi Makoto, one of the members of the Future Foundation.”

He extended his hand to her and she shook it. “It’s a pleasure.”

The girl was next, though she didn’t offer a handshake. “Kirigiri Kyouko, also a member of the Future Foundation. Did you sleep well?”

“Yes, thank you,” Mahiru said. She felt a little self-conscious around these two, knowing they had authority over her. “Thanks for taking care of me while I was, well, you know…”

Makoto shook his head. “Don’t mention it, though you really shouldn’t be thanking us. It was your friends who looked after you most of the time. We just helped out here and there, since we leave a lot of the time to return to headquarters.”

“Speaking of which…” All eyes turned to Kyouko. “Asahina should be finished speaking to the others, correct?”

Makoto dismissed her with a wave of his hand, something that frustrated Mahiru. Her father used to do it all the time. “It’s fine. You know how it is. She probably got into an argument with Togami or Hagakure again.”

A hint of a smile graced Kyouko’s face, and Mahiru couldn’t help but wish she had her camera so she could take a picture of her. “You’re right. Someone needs to keep those boys in line, though I’m sure Komaru-san is doing an excellent job.”

Mahiru didn’t know who Komaru was, but she didn’t ask. The Future Foundation wasn’t really any of her business anyway. Instead, she decided to change the subject, albeit slightly. “So how’s the rest of the world going so far? I mean, I know it’s bad, but other than that.”

“We know what you mean,” Makoto said. “It’s a slow process, rebuilding the world and restoring everything to how it was, but someone has to do it. It’s going faster than we thought it would, though. The Future Foundation has a lot of people, and even people who aren’t members want to help out. It’s amazing how far it’s come since the whole thing ended, which was about a year or so ago.”

Before Mahiru could really process what that would be like, the door to the dining room opened and slammed shut. Startled by the sound, Mahiru jumped in her seat, her head pounding from the sudden sound. She tried to hide it as best she could as another woman, also clad in a black suit, rushed in, a panicked look on her face.

Makoto and Kyouko stood up immediately, already alert. “Asahina, what’s wrong?” the former asked.

Aoi spoke between pants. “It’s Towa City… Something’s happening down there and we need to get there right away! Togami’s coming in a helicopter.”

“What about Fukawa and Hagakure?” Kyouko asked. Even in the face of danger, her voice didn’t show much emotion. “And Komaru-san, if she’s still there.”

Aoi looked even more distressed at the sound of her colleagues’ names. “I don’t know! I can’t get a hold of them and neither can Togami. The last time he had contact with one of them, it was Genocider Syo, so I’m not sure what’s going on.”

Mahiru didn’t want to ask why they were mentioning a serial killer.

“Hey, hey, what’s going on out here?”

Everyone turned to look at Teruteru, who was just coming from the kitchen. He didn’t have any food with him, so Mahiru guessed he had overheard the racket.

“There’s a problem back in Towa City,” Kyouko said, voice low. “We have to leave and head there immediately. Do you think you and Koizumi-san could see us off?”

Mahiru didn’t have a problem with it, but Teruteru hesitated. “Okay, but I’ll have to turn the stoves off first.”

The members of the Future Foundation rushed ahead, moving surprisingly fast despite the restrictive material of their suits. Mahiru supposed that imminent danger did that to a person, and she couldn’t help but remember she was still wearing her night clothes. She should have changed before coming downstairs, but there was no way to remedy that now.

Once Teruteru had ensured nothing would burn the hospital down, they made their way outside. Mahiru didn’t know where the helicopter would land, but Teruteru seemed to know where he was going, and so she followed him to the bridge, matching his pace. He couldn’t run very fast, so it was fairly easy.

“Where are we going, exactly?” she asked, raising her voice so she would be heard.

“The central island,” Teruteru replied. “The helicopters always land there. There was one time where it stopped on the beach, but that didn’t end well. Sand flying everywhere! The skirts turning up was pretty good, though…”

Mahiru scowled. “Hanamura!”

Teruteru gave a nervous laugh but didn’t say anything else. The two didn’t speak as they ran to the central island, and they could see the helicopter begin its descent to the ground, right beside the administrative building. They stopped a bit away from the landing zone, being cautious, but they were close enough to communicate with the Future Foundation members.

Mahiru recognised the man who jumped out of the helicopter to greet him, or at least she thought she did. The first thought that ran through her mind was Togami Byakuya, the man who had been a leader to them all yet sadly perished first. This man was different, however. He may have had the same hair, eyes, and skin, but there was something different in the way he walked and poised himself that confirmed to her that this was not the same person.

Togami looked over at her and Teruteru, giving them a curt nod before approaching the others. “Let’s go. We don’t have all day.”

Makoto and Kyouko climbed into the helicopter as soon as the words left his mouth, but Aoi remained, a frown on her face. At first Mahiru thought she was about to scold him for something, but there was a spark in her eyes that showed she wasn’t being too serious.

“Did you bring them?”

Togami huffed and wordlessly passed the girl a box of donuts.

Satisfied, Aoi turned to look at Mahiru and Teruteru. “We’ll keep in touch! Call if you need us!”

She scurried into the helicopter, Togami following suit. Knowing there was going to be a blast of wind, Mahiru backed away, Teruteru following suit. The helicopter rose and she had to squint her eyes to avoid the brunt of the wind. Her head began to ache once more, but she ignored it until the helicopter had become a speck in the distance.

“Was there even any reason for us to be here?” Mahiru asked, rubbing her temples. “My head’s starting to hurt again.”

“You alright, Koizumi-san? I can make one of my… special remedies.”

“ _Hanamura_.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Four Dark Devas and a funeral. Also some deep things.

Everyone else was awake and in the dining room by the time Mahiru and Teruteru returned. As soon as they had shut the door behind them, they were ambushed with questions on their whereabouts. The sight of food half-cooked in the kitchen seemed to have alarmed them, since they were so used to seeing the chef inside.

“Where were you guys? Did something happen?” Hajime asked, his voice cutting through all the other remarks despite being quieter.

Mahiru shifted uncomfortably from all the attention. “The Future Foundation got called away. Something’s happening in Towa City, some kind of emergency, so they had to leave earlier than they intended. Hanamura and I saw them off.”

“They took me away from my beautiful, beautiful food,” Teruteru said. “I’ll get back to cooking breakfast, everyone.”

Teruteru slipped around the crowd and into the kitchen. It wasn’t long before the aroma of eggs and toast started wafting into the dining room, but Mahiru didn’t stick around to enjoy it. She was feeling self-conscious in her thin night gown, so she returned to her room to change. Clothes had been provided for her while she was out, and she quickly dressed herself, immediately feeling better in her own skin.

When she reappeared downstairs, the food was already being served. She slid into the seat between Akane and Ibuki, giving them a smile as her food was placed in front of her. It was absolutely mouth-watering, and she knew she was being spoiled with all this western food.

“I wonder what’s happening in Towa City,” Gundam said, nose turning up at the sight of cooked eggs.

Mahiru shrugged. “Asahina didn’t specify, but Togami couldn’t get in touch with Fukawa or Hagakure. That’s all we really know. I think that’s all _they_ really know.”

Sonia sighed. “Sometimes this despair incident is more trouble than it’s worth.”

Gundam placed a hand on her arm. “My Lady of Darkness, do not fret. I’m sure the light will shine down upon us soon and all our enemies shall perish!”

Any other girl probably would have thought Gundam was strange and weird, and while he was definitely both of those things, Sonia was the only girl Mahiru knew that was attracted to a personality like his. She didn’t think it was a bad thing, though. The two of them looked good together, if they were actually together, and they seemed to make each other happy.

Breakfast was wrapped up quickly, so Mahiru returned to her room. She didn’t know what to do now that she was alone and without her camera. If Hiyoko had been awake, she probably would have been dragged to the beach to play or the store to look for gummies, but that wasn’t going to happen. At least not right now.

Wait. Hiyoko had to be around here somewhere, right? Conscious or not.

Making up her mind, she began to leave the room, but as soon as she reached the doorway she slammed into Kazuichi’s chest. The other boy gave a yelp and jumped back in surprise, his usual reaction, and it made her roll her eyes. Mature or not, he still acted the same when he thought he was in danger.

“Watch where you’re going, Souda,” Mahiru scolded, but then her eyes lit up. “Oh, wait, good timing. Where’s Hiyoko-chan’s room?”

Kazuichi didn’t seem surprised by the question. “She’s still in the pod room. We only move people – or, actually, Tsumiki moves people – out of there once they’ve proven that they’re going to wake up soon. You can… You can go and see her if you’d like.”

“I can? Is it okay for us to be in there?” Mahiru asked. “I mean, I don’t know, it sounds kind of important. You won’t be breaking any rules by letting me in, will you?”

Kazuichi laughed and started walking down the hallway, gesturing with his hand for her to follow. “Nah, it’s fine for us to be in there unless Tsumiki’s doing tests or examinations. We’re not allowed to touch any of the equipment, though. Even I’m not. I have to get Tsumiki’s permission to fix stuff.”

“Fix stuff?” Mahiru asked as they started going upstairs. “What needs to be fixed?”

Kazuichi shrugged. “Just basic stuff, like computers and all that. Speaking of fixing stuff, though, I made some headway on your camera last night.”

Mahiru frowned, concern expressed on her features. “You went to bed before midnight, though, right?”

“Just past midnight, actually,” Kazuichi said with a nervous chuckle. “I got way too into it, playing with the features and all that. It’s gonna be waterproof, I’ll make sure of it, and I’ll give it a polaroid option as well, so it’s both a digital and a polaroid camera. I’ll make it work.”

“You can do that?” Mahiru asked as they stopped in front of a set of double doors. They looked heavier than all the other doors in the hospital, and she was sure that was a padlock dangling near the side.

Kazuichi grinned, pushing one of the doors open and allowing Mahiru to go in first. She gave a small smile as he said, “Well, I’m still the Super High School Level Mechanic, you know. It’s not as artistic as photography, but it’s still somethin’.”

Mahiru thought that being a mechanic was very artistic in itself, but she wasn’t going to tell him that. Instead, she just walked in, treading carefully so she didn’t step on any of the wires. There were computers in almost every corner of the room, all connected to each other so they all have the same information. She would have gone to see what was on the monitor, but it was none of her business. She highly doubted she would understand any of it anyway.

What caught her immediate attention, however, was the circle of pods in the centre of the room. The middle of the circle had a cylinder reaching from the top of the wall to the bottom, wires coming off it and attaching themselves to the pods. Most of the pods themselves were dark and dim. Only three were still emitting a fluorescent green light: Hiyoko’s, Nagito’s, and Byakuya’s (if she was even still supposed to call him that).

It occurred to her that, just last week, she was inside one of these.

“We don’t spend as much time in here anymore,” Kazuichi said, avoiding the wires. “I mean, Kuzuryuu was always in here until Peko woke up. Refused to leave her side. I was in here working and making adjustments, and sometimes Sonia-san would fall asleep in here near Tanaka’s pod. When they woke up, their attention was kinda focused on getting them better.”

Mahiru didn’t respond as Kazuichi led her to the pod furthest from the door. He stood back and let her see Hiyoko for herself, her heart contracting when she saw the girl in her vegetated state.

Hiyoko was certainly taller, more developed. It was different from how she had looked on the island, but there was no denying that this was Hiyoko. She had the same facial features, though instead of the usual mischievous smirk her lips were parted and her eyes closed. Mahiru could only just see the slow rise and fall from her stomach as she breathed. She looked like Snow White in her glass coffin, only this time there was no prince to come and wake the poor girl up. She would have to do so on her own.

Mahiru almost laughed at the prospect of Hiyoko’s prince. The dancer would probably reject them all and make some snide comment about preferring to sleep for a thousand years.

Kazuichi must have noticed her small smile. “Memories?”

“Hmm?”

“Your memories of Saionji. You’re thinking of them right now, aren’t you?”

“It’s very rude to pry into a woman’s mind, you know.”

There was a comfortable silence as Kazuichi slowly walked over to her again, stopping beside her to look down at the blonde girl below. Then, “I miss her too.”

Mahiru looked up at him, surprised. “You do?”

“W-Well, yeah. I mean, sure, she was horrible and mean to me, but she didn’t deserve to die the way she did. Besides, I’m pretty sure she has family members who are still alive. Her dad, I think? I’m not sure,” Kazuichi said.

At the mention of family, Mahiru felt her stomach drop. She hadn’t even though about her family since waking up. Her mother, her father. What were they doing right now? Were they even still alive?

Before she could verbalize her questions, a scream sounded from downstairs. It was low, so low that it could only possibly be from one person. Mahiru hadn’t heard anything like it before.

“Was that… Tanaka?” Kazuichi asked, jumping over the wires as he strode towards the door. Mahiru followed him out a little slower, not used to navigating her way around the room.

“Souda! Wait up!” she called after him as they sped into the hallway. The boy’s pace slowed as she jogged up beside him, and together they ran downstairs to Gundam’s room.

Mahiru guessed Gundam had been awake for a good while now, since he had definitely personalized his hospital room. Dark curtains were hanging from the windows, blocking out most of the sunlight. Posters of supernatural creatures and occult references adorned the walls, covering most of the white paint underneath. Everyone’s attention was on neither of these. Instead, Gundam and Sonia, who must have already been there with him, were looking at the hamster’s playground.

“What’s wrong?” Kazuichi yelled. “Who died? What’s happening?!”

“Control your volume, Souda,” Mahiru said, stepping inside and moving next to Sonia. “What’s going on?”

Gundam was still, eyes wide and mouth open as he stared at something in his hands. Sonia had to answer for him. “One of the Devas, Cham-P, he’s…”

“Deceased,” Gundam finished for her.

As he turned towards the two girls, Mahiru caught sight of a large ball of golden fur. It wasn’t moving, and her thoughts flashed back to when she had seen Hiyoko slowly rising and falling as she breathed. This hamster wasn’t doing that.

“What-what-what-what-what’s happenin’?” Ibuki’s voice flooded in from the doorway, breaking the silence that had enveloped the room. “That was a pretty loud scream, Gundam-chan! It rivals Ibuki’s own!”

Gundam didn’t say anything, only presenting Cham-P to the musician. The chubby hamster looked so much smaller in his cupped hands. Mahiru had to look away.

Ibuki let out an ear-shattering scream that echoed throughout the hallway. The sound of running footsteps came closer, Hajime, Fuyuhiko, and Peko appearing behind her as she foamed at the mouth. It didn’t take them long to squeeze past her and see what the fuss was about

Silence (other than Ibuki’s mutterings) filled the room once again until Hajime said, “Well, what are you going to do?”

Gundam knitted his eyebrows, his stare softening as he looked at his furry friend. “We must conduct a proper ritual.” 

* * *

 

Mahiru had only ever been to a funeral once before, when she was in elementary school, and from what she could remember it was nothing like this.

Everyone had been called to the beach on the second island for the burial save for Mikan, who had chosen to stay in the hospital just in case. Mahiru had been hesitant about going there at first, since she had died at the beach house right next to it, but she knew she couldn’t dwell on it. Perhaps she couldn’t go into the beach house yet, but she could conquer the beach. She was strong. She could handle that much.

Gundam was burying Cham-P at the very corner of the beach. The late hamster had been placed in an old shoebox along with some of his favourite toys. The other three Devas were standing in front of it, guarding it even, as Gundam drew a magical circle in the sand with a large stick. He was chanting, Sonia joining in as she sat with the hamsters.

They were the only two going along with it, of course, but no one said anything. It was a way for Gundam to distract himself, just for a little bit, from the death of his beloved friend. He was hiding it the best he could, but anyone could see he was absolutely shattered. Everyone else allowed him to deal with it how he wanted to, watching from afar as they waited.

“This is the strangest funeral I’ve ever been to,” Nekomaru said. “It’s not indoors. No good places to shit.”

Mahiru cringed from the crude humour. “Gross.”

“It’s not the strangest I’ve been to. I once went to one where you ate off the dude’s coffin! It was weird, but eh,” Akane said lightly, shrugging.

Hajime’s eyebrows scrunched together. “How many funerals have you _been_ to?”

“A good few, I guess,” Akane said. “I had lots of mums and dads, so I had lots of grandparents.”

Once again, the topic of family had come up. Mahiru blocked out the conversation, voices fading as she wondered what had become of her parents. She didn’t know what had happened the past couple of years, but the last she remembered her father was at home (nothing new there) and her mother was across the globe in Europe for her work. What happened? Where were they?

Did they still love her?

She had been part of the Super High School Level Despair. Surely, her parents had found out about that, right? They probably hated her, despised her, wondered how their daughter had lost all of her morals and began worshipping some crazy super model younger than her. If they were still even alive.

She was brought back to Earth by someone clicking their fingers in front of her face. It was Fuyuhiko.

“Hey, Koizumi. Tanaka wants you to take pictures of the funeral or whatever,” he said, nodding his head in Gundam’s direction.

Mahiru was about to agree when she remembered her lack of tools. “I don’t have my camera. I haven’t had it since we were back in Japan.”

“Seriously? Sucks. I’ll go tell him.”

Fuyuhiko walked ahead, Peko at his heels. The two were so close, the way they would do anything for each other making Mahiru feel happy and even a little envious. In the midst of despair, they still had each other.

It must have been nice.

The ceremony itself was improvised, but a complete stranger wouldn’t have known that. The passion and love Gundam had for his hamsters was obvious, and while he may have been one of the strangest people Mahiru had ever met, she couldn’t help but feel the pain and sorrow he was trying to convey. Underneath that scarf and his amazing vocabulary was a real human being, no matter how many times he called himself a demon or some other supernatural creature. She honestly wished she did have her camera, since she would have loved to give Gundam something to remember this by, though she was sure he would remember this himself.

“…And down goes the sun, the last flicker of light hiding behind the earth being a metaphor for the courageous Cham-P’s life,” Gundam was saying, arms outstretched towards the darkening sky. Sonia had a comforting hand on his shoulder. “Cham-P would not wish us to be disturbed or distressed about his passing. He would wish for us to continue walking the path he was not permitted to go down.”

“He was a hamster,” Kazuichi muttered. “What path did he have, exactly?” Hajime nudged him in the ribs.

Gundam lowered the shoebox into the grave slowly. His scarf was covering half his face and anyone could tell he was not far from crying. “Goodbye, Cham-P. Rest well underneath the earth. You will be remembered always.”

He bowed his head and clapped his hands together in prayer. Mahiru was one of the first to follow suit. She didn’t have any words other than to wish Cham-P luck wherever he was, so she spent most of it in silence until Sonia spoke up.

“That concludes our ceremony.”

As everyone was opening their eyes, Ibuki yelled, “Yahoo! Now everyone to the Titty Typhoon! It’s time to _partay_!”

“What do you speak of, fiend?” Gundam asked, brushing away the magic circle.

Ibuki wrapped one arm around Gundam’s, the other around Sonia’s. “It’s time to celebrate Cham-P’s life with performances and dancing and food! Ibuki even wrote a song for the occasion! Ooh, and someone go and invite Mikan-chan!”

The rest of the students, with the exception of Mahiru Teruteru, and Peko, all looked at each other with concern. Hajime was the first to speak up. “Um… Should we go?”

“I’ll be there later,” Teruteru said, oblivious to their uneasiness. “I have some food to cook! Completely vegetarian, just for Tanaka.”

He started running away from the beach, cutting through the beach house. They all watched him go.

“Um…” Peko softly gripped Fuyuhiko’s sleeve. “Young – Fuyuhiko. I would like to listen to Mioda-san’s song, if that’s alright with you.”

Fuyuhiko paled slightly, but managed to nod. “Sure. Let’s go, Peko.”

The two of them slowly made their way out as Akane said, “Well, there’s gonna be food. I’ll be there regardless of the noise. C’mon, old man Nidai. You too, Hinata.”

Hajime scowled at the gymnast for a few seconds before sighing in resignation. “Fine, but let me buy some earplugs from the supermarket first.”

The three of them wandered away from the beach, leaving Mahiru and Kazuichi behind. Mahiru looked at him, eyebrows raised. The others, or at least most of them, were acting strange and she wanted to know why.

“Is there any particular reason why everyone seems so uneasy?” she asked.

Kazuichi laughed, though it sounded like it was out of nerves instead of happiness. “Uh, well, she performed for us a bit after your trial. It was kinda… It was interesting, let’s put it that way. Very scary, very loud.”

“Her music’s… bad?” Mahiru said. “Is that what you’re saying?”

She must have seemed accusatory, for he instantly jumped on the defensive. “No, no! It’s just not to our taste. Well, actually… Hiyoko liked it.”

Mahiru fell silent, biting her lip. “…Did she?”

“Yeah…”

The two stood there in a kind of awkward silence, both of them avoiding each other’s gaze as the sky became darker. Stars were beginning to show, and Mahiru knew that she would need to make up her mind soon. Knowing Ibuki, there would probably be a lot of noise. Her head began to ache just thinking about it.

“I don’t think I’ll be able to go,” she finally said, making Kazuichi look up. “If I go to a place with too much noise, my brain will probably start hurting again.”

Kazuichi grinned, even looking relieved. “Well, if that’s the case, I’m going to hide out in your room until the show’s finished.”

She frowned at him. “Hey, you can’t hide in my room! It’s rude.” She started marching away from him, her nose in the air. She made sure she avoided cutting across the beach house.

He caught up to her before speaking. “So is listening to… to _that_! Trust me, if you’d heard it before you’d know. Also, isn’t it my job to look after you? I should be doing that. I’ll work on your camera, too.”

“Well…” Mahiru weighed her options. She would feel better if she had someone with her, since she would feel incredibly alone if she was in the hospital by herself. “Fine. If you say so.”

Kazuichi cheered, pumping his fist in the air. “Success! Okay, let’s get back.”

They walked the rest of the way in silence. Mahiru was too busy enjoying the outdoors. It was easier to appreciate Jabberwock Island when there wasn’t the overhanging threat of death. Everything seemed much more colourful, even at night, and the sound of insects was no longer creepy. It added to the tropical atmosphere, and once again she found her fingers itching for her camera. Part of her wanted Kazuichi to hurry and finish her new camera, but she knew those things couldn’t be rushed.

Mikan was still in the hospital foyer when they returned, completely focused on paperwork left by the Future Foundation. Mahiru’s heart went out for the girl and she wished she could help, but her medical knowledge was too limited. Mikan was the only one who understood what was written on all those pages.

“Oh, Tsumiki!” Kazuichi said as they walked in, earning the meek girl’s attention.

“Ah!” Mikan slipped off the chair she was sitting on, falling on the ground with her skit lifted. “I-I’m so sorry!”

Mahiru rushed over to the desk and helped the girl up. “You alright, Tsumiki-san?”

Mikan brushed her skirt down, though there was no dirt on it. The hospital was spotless. “Yes, thank you…”

“Hey, Tsumiki,” Kazuichi started, walking over to the two girls. “Ibuki’s having a concert down at the Titty Typhoon in honour of Cham-P’s memory, wanna go? Koizumi and I can look after the hospital, and you need a break, you know.”

“Um…” Mikan faltered, fidgeting. “I don’t want to go if I’m not invited.”

Mahiru piped up, “Oh, but you were. Ibuki-san asked us specifically to come and invite you.”

A look of relief washed over the nurse’s face, a small smile appearing on her features. “That’s a relief! O-Okay, I’ll go. But – but is it really okay for you two to look after things here? I don’t want to just dump unnecessary work on you…”

Kazuichi gave her his usual thumbs up pose. “It’s a-okay. You go and enjoy things.”

“I-If you’re sure… Thank you, everyone. I’ll go!” Mikan bowed deeply before scurrying out the door.

Mahiru and Kazuichi watched her slowly walk towards the Titty Typhoon, waiting until she was out of sight to say anything. Kazuichi was the one who broke the silence. “I didn’t think she would go, honestly.”

“Why is that?” Mahiru asked as they started climbing the stairs.

“Remember when I told you about the murder after yours?” Kazuichi asked. “Tsumiki was the murderer, and it happened at the Titty Typhoon. I mean, part of it happened at the hospital too, but she was able to settle in around all the medical stuff. She hasn’t been to the musical hall since she woke up.”

Mahiru was silent as she opened her door, speaking only once she was seated on the edge of the bed. “Well, it was Ibuki-san who was murdered, right? Maybe Tsumiki-san wanted to do it for her, to make amends. She only agreed to go when I said Ibuki-san invited her.”

Kazuichi seemed to consider this as he closed the door. “That makes sense. I wouldn’t know how she feels, though. ‘Cause I survived and all that.”

“Well, I can kind of understand,” Mahiru said, swinging her legs over and letting her head fall on the pillow. “If Kuzuryuu or Pekoyama-san invited me to something I’d want to go. I mean, they really seem to want to make amends, and so do I because of that whole incident with his sister, so… I don’t know why I’m telling this to you of all people.”

Kazuichi sat down on the chair beside the bed, the place he had been when she woke up only a day or so ago. “That’s ‘cause I’m the only one here.”

Mahiru couldn’t argue with that. She closed her eyes, suddenly tired from the day’s events. In retrospect, she hadn’t done too much, only hanging around without purpose during the preparations for Cham-P’s funeral, but she was still physically weak. She may have been able to stand upright, but once she reached her bed of a night her limbs were relieved.

When she reopened her eyes, Kazuichi was already engrossed in his work. It was rare to see him so unguarded, so focused on the job in front of him. His face was serious instead of the usual goofy expressions he wore. It was kind of admirable.

“How’s the camera coming along?” she asked, unable to keep the eagerness out of her voice.

Kazuichi grinned. “Impatient, are we?”

Mahiru scowled. “Don’t get smart with me.”

He only laughed, making her huff. “It’s good, it’s good. I’m almost finished, actually.”

“That was quick.”

“Yeah, well, I had some time before the funeral. Or whatever that theatrical production was.”

Mahiru leaned back into her bed again. “That was just Tanaka-san being Tanaka-san. He’s always like that. You could tell how upset he was, though. Even though Cham-P was a hamster, an animal with a shorter lifespan than us, he became close to him. I’m just worried about when the others go, since it can’t be that far away. I’m sure he started breeding them around the same time.”

Kazuichi didn’t look up from his work. “I think those hamsters were his only friends for a while. Thinking back on it, when I was with Hinata on the simulation island and we’d do stuff together, he seemed kinda lonely.”

“Why didn’t you invite him then?” she asked.

He paused. “Well, he was being… He was being Tanaka. I had a hard time talking to him. Then there was the whole thing with Sonia-san. Point is, we didn’t get along too well. Still don’t sometimes.”

“What changed?” She slid underneath the covers, not bothering with her nightgown this time.

“A lot,” he admitted. “When we woke up, it was kind of weird and off-putting, but after talking to the Future Foundation members I understood what had happened. I mean, _really_ understood. I didn’t have time to mess around, y’know? And my talent was needed around here more than the others at the time. I kind of learned to forget about all those grudges. It was easier for me.”

Mahiru was confused. “What do you mean?”

“Everyone was waiting for someone,” he said, meeting her eyes briefly. “Sonia-san for Tanaka, Kuzuryuu for Pekoyama, Owari for Nidai. Even Hinata was – still is – waiting for Komaeda, even if he won’t say so. I didn’t have anyone like that. I was only really close to Hinata on the island, and even Sonia had survived along with us, so there wasn’t anyone that I was particularly concerned about, as bad as that sounds.”

The words left her mouth before she could think. “That sounds lonely.”

He met her eyes for longer this time. “I was kind of expecting you to tell me to act more like a man, or whatever it is you say.”

“I think you were acting mature,” she said, nonchalant. “For you, anyway.”

“Oi, what’s that supposed to mean?”

The two of them laughed. It wasn’t loud or boisterous, but it also wasn’t uncomfortable. She was surprised to find herself enjoying Kazuichi’s company. Granted, he was probably only spending time with her because he was in charge of looking after her, but it was nice nonetheless. The atmosphere reminded her of when she spent time with her mother late at night, looking over all the photographs they had taken.

Worry took over her again. Once again she was thinking about her family. This was going to eat her up, she knew.

Kazuichi probably noticed her face fall. “Hey, you alright?”

“Yeah,” she answered without thinking. “I mean… Kind of. I was just thinking about my parents. I wonder what happened to them.”

 Kazuichi’s hand paused before reaching for his spanner. “Yeah, we all had similar questions when we woke up. The Future Foundation told us what they could about all of us, all of you.”

She gestured for him to continue. “Yes, go on…”

“Well…” The pained look on his face only lasted for a millisecond, but she saw it. She had an eye for detail. “Your father didn’t make it. As for your mother, they don’t know yet. She wasn’t in Japan when it all started.”

Mahiru froze. It took her a few moments to process what he had just said. Her father, the only male figure she had ever had in her life, was no dead. No matter what ill will she held towards him, he was still her father. She loved him. She always would. She had never said that enough. Instead she had just complained about him being lazy and a degenerate.

And her mother…

She only noticed the tears after one had stained her arm. Once she knew they were there, they increased, and she held her head in her hands as she sobbed. She heard the clatter of Kazuichi’s tools being discarded on the bedside table as he came to sit on her bed, hesitantly putting his hand on her shoulder.

“Sorry! That was too blunt, wasn’t it? Dammit. I’m bad at this…”

She shook her head. “No, it’s fine. I would have cried no matter what you said. You _do_ need to work on your social skills a bit more, though.”

Somehow, even without looking at him, she could tell he was smiling.

Minutes later, when he crying had stopped, she wiped the residue from her eyes in an attempt to maintain her dignity. Looking up, she saw Kazuichi looking at her in concern. He had been patiently waiting for her to stop. Gratitude swelled in her chest.

“Thanks,” she said. “If it’s alright with you, though, I’m just going to sleep. I’m kind of tired.”

He nodded. “I’ll be here until you fall asleep,” he said, gesturing to the unfinished camera.

She didn’t have the energy to disagree, her concern and grief over her mother and father having sucked the life out of her. She didn’t want to keep thinking about it, so she was determined to sleep whether he brain wanted to or not. Luckily for her, it did, and as soon as her eyes closed she was out for the night. The last thing she heard was Kazuichi swearing under his breath about a cut on his finger, consciousness fading before she could reprimand him.

The following morning, a sleek black camera was sitting on her bedside table.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I like the idea of Souda maturing after the events of SDR2. Hinata and Sonia were already fairly mature in their own way, and Owari and Kuzuryuu had times in the game itself where they had to grow up and sort of see reality. Souda didn't really get that, being the 'goofy guy' until the end. I wanted him to sort of realize the 'error of his ways' and all that.
> 
> With the Dark Devas, I figured that they've been around for a long while. Hamster lifespans aren't that long, so after all the events of Hope's Peak they'd be getting on. Don't worry, Cham-P is still with us in spirit.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warning for anxiety and panic attacks. Stay safe, guys.

The following week was fairly routine. Wake up, take pictures between meals, and go to bed. There were no interruptions and everything was fairly quiet, not counting Nidai and Ibuki’s overexcited comments at the dinner table. It was evident how close everyone had become while she was asleep, completely different from the simulation when they were all pitted against to each other, worrying about someone stabbing them in the back.

Gundam had been a bit withdrawn that week. He was in his room, only coming down for meals, and even then he didn’t eat as much as usual. When he was around everyone else, his strange phrases became more frequent. Anyone could tell that he was trying (and failing) to mask his pain. Sonia was especially worried.

It was during dinner on the weekend that Hajime brought another problem to their attention. He made sure everyone had finished eating before he said, “Guys, I’m worried about the Future Foundation members.”

“Whaddya mean?” Akane asked, scraping all of the crumbs off her plate.

“They haven’t called since they left,” he said. “I mean, they usually check in every night or every other night, but it’s been an entire week without contact.”

“They were going to Towa City due to an emergency, correct?” Peko said. “Perhaps they don’t have reception, or it may simply be because they’re preoccupied. We don’t know what’s happening. I’m sure they’ll tell us soon.”

Hajime didn’t look convinced. “If you say so. We don’t know much about Towa City other than it taking advantage of the despair incident. They sorta became this safe haven or something before stuff went down. It wasn’t great.”

“Isn’t there a way you can get in touch with them?” Nekomaru asked. His robotic body parts made clunky noises as he shifted in his seat. “That would make sense, wouldn’t it?”

“Well, yeah, the system works both ways. We can contact them when we want to, but we only do it for emergencies,” Fuyuhiko said. “I mean, like Peko said, they could be busy. We shouldn’t bother them. They _are_ cleaning up our mess.”

Mahiru had been trying to forget about that the entire week. She didn’t want to know what had happened while she was under Junko’s influence, though she was sure she would have to face it at some point. How many people had she injured? Killed? Panic rose inside her just thinking about it.

Everyone else seemed to be thinking along the same lines, their heads down, eyes transfixed on the table in front of them. Hajime coughed, gaining everyone’s attention before saying, “I think I’ll try and contact them, though. Just in case.”

Dinner ended quietly and everyone flittered away to do their own thing. Mahiru loitered around, helping Teruteru wash up, the two of them making basic conversation. Neither of them really felt like speaking, and Mahiru guessed he was thinking about his family. She remembered his demeanour right before he was executed, terrified about what had happened to his mother, and in the end he had never received his answers.

As he put the last plate in the cupboard, he said, “It looks like it’s going to rain out there. Thunderstorm, actually.”

Mahiru looked out the window. The moon was blocked out by dark clouds, making the island seem darker than it really was. “Yeah, looks like it. I’m going to go take a picture before it starts raining.”

“Be careful! Wouldn’t want to make that top see-through, would we?” Teruteru called out as she ran out the door. She rolled her eyes, in too much of a rush to comment.

She figured the best place to take a snapshot would be the bridge. It wasn’t too far away and she would be able to have both the water and the sky in the picture. She hadn’t taken many photographs set at night yet, so this was a golden opportunity. According to Fuyuhiko, rain was scarce on Jabberwock at times, so after this rainy spell it was unlikely they would get another for a while.

The wind was cold, whipping around her and blowing her hair in front of her face. She was lucky it was still fairly short. She wished she had her cardigan, but she wouldn’t be out long. Onto the bridge, snap a picture, return to the hospital. It would be fine.

It didn’t take long for her to focus the camera and snap a few pictures. She was about to go back to the hospital when a clap of thunder sounded, making her jump. She hadn’t been scared of thunderstorms before, but for some reason she stood there petrified, the sound echoing in her head. Her hands became sweaty and she could feel her camera slipping between her fingers, so she returned it to its place around her neck.

She tried to move her feet, but she couldn’t. Her breathing was heavy and she clutched her chest as she doubled over, the first drops of rain hitting her back. She didn’t understand what was happening and she wanted to cry, but no tears would come out, leaving her eyes to water slightly. The cold weather made her shiver, and her teeth beginning to chatter was what told her brain she needed to get inside and fast.

With a surge of energy, she stood up, continuing to hyperventilate as she sloppily ran back to the hospital. The world was starting to spin by the time she reached the closest door, the one leading into the dining room, and she fell to the floor as soon as she was inside, the door slamming shut behind her.

She coughed and spluttered between harsh breaths as footsteps were heard on the stairs. Seconds later, arms were around her and someone was yelling to get a towel and a paper bag. Her vision was swimming and she could hardly grasp onto anything, even when the bag was shoved in her hands. Someone instructed her to breathe into it as she was led to one of the chairs, and she was only vaguely aware of someone rubbing her back.

It took a few good breaths before she started to calm down. Her heart rate slowed and her sight was becoming clearer. Fatigue washed over her but she refused to fall asleep. She rubbed her eyes, closing and opening them. When she came to her senses, Mikan was hovering over her, concerned but focused. Kazuichi was to her left, hand still placed on the small of her back, and Gundam was to her right, the remaining three Dark Devas in his hands.

“Um… What happened?” she asked, more to herself than to her friends.

Mikan’s eyes shifted, “W-Well, you were having a panic attack. It’s fine, you’re fine! You just need some rest.”

Mahiru closed her eyes and let out a deep breath. “Panic attack?”

“It’s when you become overcome with anxiety in a stressful situation, sometimes gradual, sometimes triggered, and your body reacts poorly, so to speak,” Mikan said. “Come on, you should go to your room, yes? Yes. I’ll prepare some warm clothes!”

She hurried up the stairs, almost tripping over her feet at the top. Mahiru watched her go before turning to the two boys. A sense of shame fell over her as she thought about how she must have looked in front of them. Mikan was fine, since she was a professional, but she cursed herself for being so weak in front of others.

Kazuichi seemed to realize what she was thinking (he had a bit of doing that now, and she didn’t know how she felt about that) for he said, “Hey, relax. It happened to most of us. It’s not that much of a surprise.”

“Some warning would have been nice,” Mahiru said quietly. She had intended to sound angry, but exhaustion seeped into her voice.

“Sorry,” he said.

Mahiru fixated her eyes on the table, not daring to look either boy in the eye. She almost did look up when three furry creatures came and sat on her hands. The three Dark Devas peered up at her, eyes wider than usual as if asking if she was alright. She looked at Gundam for an explanation.

“The Dark Devas have been quite a bit of help to those experiencing difficulties,” he said. “I will leave you in their care for the evening.”

The hamsters scurried over to their owner, landing in his cupped hands and listening intently as he gave them instructions in a low voice. When he was finished, he let them back down, allowing them to scamper up Mahiru’s arms so they sat on her shoulders. Maga-Z even nuzzled her cheek.

“I shall return to my dark domain,” Gundam said, straightening himself and fiddling with his bandages. “The Lady of Darkness is waiting for my return.”

Gundam also disappeared upstairs, though he had a lot more grace than Mikan.

Mahiru slowly rose from her chair, trying to ignore how cold she felt as she moved. She didn’t look at Kazuichi as she said, “I’m going to go have a shower.” 

* * *

 

An hour later, Mahiru was lying on her bed, the three Devas curled up beside her. She was once again in her nightgown, now with leggings and a jacket so she could keep warm. The rain pounded against her window, no longer just a small drizzle like earlier. It was a better sound than her own thoughts, in any case.

There was a knock at her door. She didn’t respond. Her mind was whirling after what had happened. It had been the thunder that triggered it, she had realized, though she wasn’t sure why. It had never been a problem before. She used to love thunderstorms.

Another knock. “Koizumi, you in there?” It was Kazuichi.

“Yes,” she said softly, hoping he didn’t hear her.

He did. The door opened with a creak and he slipped inside, closing the door behind him quietly. Mahiru was reminded of the beginning of the week when the two had sat inside, just talking. It had been nice, but she didn’t want to see anyone at the moment.

“You okay?” he asked, sitting on the edge of her bed.

She only glared at him.

“Okay, I’m going to take that as a ‘no’.”

They sat in silence, Mahiru avoiding his gaze. Instead, she chose to watch the Dark Devas twitch in their sleep. They were well behaved, and surprisingly comforting. She would have to thank Gundam when she returned them tomorrow.

“You know, Koizumi, it’ll make you feel better if you talk about it,” he said.

She still didn’t look at him. “I don’t want to.”

“Fine, then let me talk.”

She did look at him this time, a frown on her face, but she still refused to speak. If he wanted to say something, he should get on with it. She was already tired enough to pass out.

“You shouldn’t have gone out there, you know. It was raining, or about to rain. It was stupid and you still haven’t recovered completely. I get that you didn’t expect the panic attack or whatever, but you knew you had your head pain.”

Mahiru wanted to punch him in the face, but she didn’t have the energy. “I wasn’t doing anything wrong, Souda. I was literally just going to take a picture. You’re overreacting.”

Kazuichi creased the bedsheets as his hands turned into fists. “Nothing’s good enough for you, Koizumi.”

“I beg your pardon?” She was sitting straight up now.

“First I’m unreliable, now I’m overreacting. I’m just trying to look out for you like I was told to.”

“So what? If you’re only doing this because you were told to, forget it! I can look after myself.”

“Obviously not.”

The Dark Devas were now awake, disoriented from the shouting. Their eyes flickered between the two humans, concerned.

Mahiru’s eyes narrowed. “Quit talking about me like I’m some kind of baggage you’re forced to carry around! I’m a human being who made a mistake, Souda. It happens to everyone. Just leave me alone. I have enough to deal with.”

“You think we don’t have shit to deal with too?” She winced at his choice of words. “We’re all going through things, alright? I just wanted to make you feel better and make sure you were okay. I can tell where I’m not wanted.”

Mahiru didn’t get a chance to respond. Kazuichi was already on his feet and out the door, slamming it behind him. The sound scared the Dark Devas, even though everyone in the room had been expecting it.

She stared at the door for a few seconds before switching the light off and turning on her side. She held the Dark Devas against her as tears formed in her eyes, but unlike on the bridge, they actually did fall. She hadn’t cried since waking up, and now everything was coming to a head. This was just the cherry on top, and it had caused an avalanche.

She cried herself to sleep that night. 

* * *

 

Hajime ran into the dining room after everyone else the following morning. Panic was etched on his face and Mahiru couldn’t help but wonder if her expression had been the same last night. She had to look down at the table.

“Hinata-san, what’s wrong?” Sonia asked, standing up.

“Monaka’s back.”

The name didn’t mean anything to Mahiru, but it apparently did to the first five survivors. Sonia gave a squeak, Akane choked on her breakfast, and Fuyuhiko let out a long string of curse words, needing Peko to calm him down. Kazuichi, who Mahiru had been avoiding since waking up, just stared at Hajime with wide eyes.

“Yo, yo, yo, what’s going on here?” Ibuki asked, rubbing her fingertips together. “What’s a Monaka? Is it some kind of musical instrument?”

Hajime laughed darkly. “I wish. No, Towa Monaka is… You might want to sit down for this.”

Everyone gathered around the dining table once more, all eyes on Hajime. With some interjections from Sonia and Fuyuhiko, he explained everything that happened in Towa City when they were still in despair. It had happened so long ago, and they had all assumed that Monaka had gone forever, but that was apparently not the case. Everything this young girl had done made Mahiru sick to her stomach. She assumed they had been horrible as well, but this grade schooler took the cake. She was so young, yet she was causing all this.

“So what’s happening now?” Nekomaru asked. “I mean, you said she’s back.”

Hajime tugged on his tie. “Well, since rebuilding was completed, Towa City has become a place for people who were stuck in other countries to return to Japan. There were a lot of Japanese citizens who were out of the country when the despair incident started. They’re all returning via Towa City, and everything was fine for a while, but Monaka’s started to intercept the flights.”

“A grade schooler did all of that?” Mikan asked. She looked like she was trembling.

“How does such a tiny mortal possess the power to overthrow an entire kingdom?” Gundam asked. The Dark Devas had now been returned to him, their faces mimicking their owner’s surprise.

Hajime shrugged. “Something about her family being powerful. I don’t know all the details. The only person other than Naegi’s sister and Fukawa that knows the details is still asleep.”

Teruteru paled. “You don’t mean…”

“Komaeda, yeah,” Hajime finished. “There’s a big chance that he won’t remember, though. I mean, we don’t remember our time in despair or Hope’s Peak in general, so there’s a high chance he won’t either.”

“I’d rather he didn’t remember, honestly,” Fuyuhiko said. “He was already bat shit crazy without the whole despair thing.”

Mahiru knew it was bad, but she felt the same way. Instead of dwelling on it, she asked, “So what are the Future Foundation doing about it?”

“They’re just trying to calm things down, honestly. Fukawa and Naegi’s sister have some sway over there, but it’s not enough,” Hajime said. “Their top priority is managing the flights and making sure the residents are safe. They don’t know what to do about Monaka yet, especially since they don’t know where she is.”

Their meeting was adjourned after that. It was still raining outside, so taking pictures outside wasn’t an option. There wasn’t much to do inside the hospital other than sleep and sleep, and Mahiru was sick of both at this point. Instead, she stayed in the dining hall until Teruteru came back out.

“Why, hello there, Koizumi-san. Sticking around, are we?” he said, playing with his hat. “It’s a shame it’s so dreary on a nice spring day.”

Mahiru realized she hadn’t even known what season it was. “Hey, what’s the date today?”

Teruteru looked surprised by the question but answered anyway. “March ninth. Why do you ask?”

“I was just wondering. I didn’t…” Her mind caught up with her. March ninth, of course! “Oh, well, thanks, Hanamura. I have somewhere to be.”

Offering a smile, Mahiru rushed upstairs and into her room. Her polaroids were sitting on the bedside table in a nice, neat pile, so it didn’t take long for her to pick them up. Photos in hand, she journeyed upstairs to the pod room, not even hesitating before going in.

Fuyuhiko and Peko looked up as she walked in. They were sitting right beside who she had come to see, and she figured it was for the same reason. She gave them a small smile before going over to stand beside Hiyoko’s pod.

“Do you wish to sit, Koizumi-san?” Peko asked, already standing up.

Mahiru shook her head, looking around for a seat of her own. She found one right next to Byakuya’s pod, so she wasted no time in moving it over. Sitting down, she allowed herself to look at Hiyoko once more.

The dancer looked the same as she had before. There was no change between now and then, though Mahiru wished there was something, _anything_ to hold onto. With not even a single hair out of place, she really did look like she was dead, never to wake up again. Mahiru didn’t want to think about that.

“We came to wish her a happy birthday,” Fuyuhiko said, though he didn’t need to clarify. “We expected you would be here sooner or later.”

“Well, I almost wasn’t,” Mahiru said, fiddling with the photos in her hand. “I didn’t know the date until ten minutes ago. I’m glad I asked Hanamura.”

Fuyuhiko cracked a smile. “Good thing you did, then. Hiyoko would be pretty pissed if you didn’t show up for her birthday. Then again, she’d probably be pissed at me for showing up in the first place.”

“I want to argue with you on that, but…” Mahiru knew Hiyoko wouldn’t have held Fuyuhiko or Peko in a positive light. It was how she was, holding grudges until it came back to bite her. “Regardless, I’m glad you’re here. If she doesn’t appreciate it when she wakes up, I’ll make her appreciate it.”

Fuyuhiko laughed. It was a nice sound, and she noted that he sounded like a regular boy. Even Peko was smiling gently.

The three of them stared at the sleeping girl for a while before Fuyuhiko once again spoke. “You know, with this growth spurt of hers she looks a lot like…”

He trailed off, but even so Mahiru knew who he was talking about. Her memories of the youngest Kuzuryuu were misty and muddled, but she remembered the photograph of her corpse very clearly. There were many similarities between her and this Hiyoko before them. It made Mahiru’s heart clench.

“Sorry,” Fuyuhiko apologized. “I shouldn’t be getting this sentimental.”

“It’s perfectly fine, Fuyuhiko.” Peko still faltered over saying her young master’s name, but she was slowly becoming accustomed to it. “Keeping your feelings bottled inside is bad for you. Or, at least that’s what you told me.”

Fuyuhiko shot her a grateful smile. “Thanks, Peko.”

They sat in silence for a good ten minutes before Fuyuhiko and Peko rose to leave. Mahiru could see the tears brimming behind Fuyuhiko’s eyelids, so she let him and Peko go without another word. Her heart went out to them. They had all been through a lot, but those two carried quite a lot of the weight.

Once they were gone, Mahiru turned back to her best friend. “I wish you were here, Hiyoko-chan. Happy birthday. I don’t even know how old we’re turning this year. Twenty-one, I think? I’m not sure. We’re so old now. I don’t even have any memories of our other birthdays together. Hopefully you’ll be awake before mine next month.”

She paused, looking down at her photos. The first one she pulled out was one of Ibuki. It had been taken without warning while the two of them had been walking around the central island. “Ibuki was the first to wake up, you know. It’s like nothing’s changed with her. I heard you’re the only one who likes her music. You’ll only be able to hear it again if you wake up.”

She placed the photo to the back of the pile, filing through them until she found one of Fuyuhiko and Peko. They were happy, smiling and laughing at something Sonia had said. “Kuzuryuu and Pekoyama-san were here until a few minutes ago. They really miss you, and they’re really sorry. You look a lot like her – Kuzuryuu’s sister, I mean. You’ve grown a lot.”

Another shuffle of the photos. The next one was of Mikan. She wasn’t looking at the camera, completely engrossed in her work. “I know you don’t like Tsumiki-san, and I know she’s the reason you died, but she’s really sorry. You can see it on her face. You probably don’t even know that it was due to the despair disease. I really hope you cooperate with her to get better.”

Tears were beginning to form, but she didn’t bother wiping them away. She let the drops fall on the top of Hiyoko’s pod, making streaks across the glass.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I finished this chapter at 6am and I regret nothing.
> 
> Gundam totally lends his hamsters to people who need comfort fIGHT ME.
> 
> I'm going to do my best with DR:AE, but since I haven't played the game myself it might be a bit more difficult. It comes out here on my birthday, though, so yay for that!


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tell them, Naegi.

Mahiru had never baked an entire cake before, but she would be damned if she gave up now.

Hiyoko may not have been awake yet, but that didn’t mean they shouldn’t celebrate. It didn’t matter to Mahiru if the others joined in or not, but the cake was there if they wanted it. Teruteru had offered to help, but she had told him to take a break and focus on dinner for the evening. It wasn’t that she didn’t appreciate the gesture, but she wanted to do this herself.

It was messier than she had anticipated, but that was the price one paid. As much as she tried, it wasn’t perfect, the chocolate coating a bit bulky. The icing that said, _‘Happy birthday, Hiyoko!’_ was messy and it looked like a five year old had written it, but it was the best she could do.

By the time she was finished, it was almost dinnertime. Teruteru had started his preparations, and she noted that he was choosing some sweet dishes, some of Hiyoko’s favourites. The two exchanged smiles as she stored the cake in the fridge.

“Should I bring the cake out after dinner?” he asked as she was leaving the kitchen.

“Yeah, that sounds like a plan,” she said.

The rain had stopped for the time being, though it was still overcast, threatening to rain again. She hoped it wasn’t another thunderstorm, but she wasn’t able to dwell on the thought as Ibuki bounded into the dining room, guitar slung over her back. If Mahiru didn’t know any better, she would have thought she had been crying. Her eyes were slightly red and puffy.

“Good evening, milady!” Ibuki’s words were intentionally drawn out.

Mahiru saw through the façade. “Ibuki-chan, is something wrong?”

“Eh? You saw through Ibuki’s clever ruse?!”

While she didn’t think it was particularly clever, Mahiru didn’t comment. Instead she said, “What is it?”

Ibuki sighed, slumping into one of the table seats. “I was just visiting Byakuya-chan and Hiyoko-chan and even Nagito-chan. It makes Ibuki sad.”

Mahiru could relate. She sat down in the seat next to the musician, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. “It’ll be alright, Ibuki. They’ll wake up soon, and when they do we can have a huge party in celebration, okay?”

The mention of celebrations had Ibuki smiling in no time. “Yes! Time to partay the night away!”

“Speaking of parties,” Mahiru continued, “it’s Hiyoko’s birthday today.”

Ibuki gasped loudly, hands coming up to her face. She no longer had her fake nails. “How did Ibuki not know about this?! She must write a song immediately!”

Mahiru only laughed as Ibuki took out a notebook and pen. The latter became immersed in her own world, mumbling to herself as she played with the chords on her guitar. Other people started coming in as Teruteru was finishing up.

Hajime was the first to question Ibuki. “Um, what are you writing there, Ibuki?”

“A song for Hiyoko-chan’s birthday! It’s almost done too! Do you want to hear it?!”

Teruteru, who was bringing the first lot of food out, said, “No, no, no, how about you wait until we have her birthday cake, yes?” He sounded nervous, and everyone else at the table had uneasy smiles planted on their faces. Apparently no one was willing to listen to the poor girl’s music.

“Did you say cake?” Akane asked, perking up. Of course she would.

Mahiru smiled, looking down. “I made one earlier. It’s not the best, but it’s something.”

Kazuichi muttered something under his breath. She couldn’t make out the entire sentence, but she heard the words ‘revenge’ and ‘poison’. She scowled, kicking his legs underneath the table and looking away, acting innocent. No one else had to know she had stooped to his level.

Dinner passed by without anything of note. When dinner was over, Teruteru brought the cake out, sitting it in the middle of the table. He had taken the liberty of putting candles on the top, around the edge of the cake so the writing wasn’t affected. In proper lighting, it didn’t look as bad, and at least it smelled nice.

Ibuki stood up, raising her hands towards the ceiling. “Okay! Everyone sing happy birthday in one, two, three!”

At the musician’s command, everyone in the room started singing, most of them somewhat reluctant. “Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday, dear Hiyoko-chan, happy birthday to you!”

Sonia stood up this time. “Hip hip?”

“Hooray!”

“Hip hip?”

“Hooray!”

“Hip hip?”

“Hooray!”

The two girls sat back down as Nekomaru said, “Who’s going to blow out the candles?”

Both Hajime and Fuyuhiko looked at each other before their eyes panned over to Mahiru. The former was the one who answered for them. “I think Mahiru should. She’s the one who made the cake, after all, so it’s only fair for her to do it in Saionji’s stead.”

“Besides, if Hiyoko knew we were doing this she’d probably want it that way,” Fuyuhiko said with a smirk. “Something about all of our germs being gross. Sounds like something she’d say, anyway.”

Mahiru couldn’t deny that. She stood up, legs still bent slightly as she leaned over the table. Sucking a deep breath in, she blew lightly in the direction of the candles, most of them spluttering out all at once save for one. She frowned at it until flickered out itself. Whether that was a coincidence or not, she liked to think she had something to do with that. Superpowers suited her.

The cutting of the cake had become Teruteru’s job, and he gave the second piece to Mahiru (Akane had snatched the first). Once she had her piece in her serviette, she turned away from the table, choosing to take a look at her photos. It wasn’t that she hadn’t looked at them after waking up from her deep sleep, but she hadn’t analysed them properly.

She liked to tell herself she hadn’t had the time, but that definitely wasn’t true.

Photographs contained memories. There were good memories, sad memories, and everything in between. What she saw in front of her were bittersweet images, photos she had taken when they weren’t physically and mentally scarred, at least not for the most part. In these pictures, they had never known true despair, never knowing who they really were until the very end.

Her eyes scanned them. There weren’t any pictures of her. In her mind, she wasn’t incredibly photogenic, and she preferred to capture others’ emotions before her own. Most of her subjects had smiling faces, as she would rather remember the good times as opposed to the bad. There were the pictures used in the first trial as evidence, the ones of Byakuya’s party. Oh, how short lived that had been.

There were more near the centre of the bulletin board. There was one of Hiyoko building a sandcastle, squashing all the crabs that had tried to infiltrate the palace walls. Another was of Ibuki giving her rendition of an air guitar, her hair flying wildly, yet none of it was out of focus or blurry. She had taken one of Gundam with his hamsters in secret, as she just had to get one of him smiling affectionately at them, an expression he hadn’t shown anyone else yet. Even now, that face was still only reserved for the Dark Devas and Sonia.

She didn’t notice someone was beside her until they spoke up.

“Hey, Koizumi-san, did you and Souda have a fight?” She looked to see Hajime next to her, holding a cup of orange juice in one hand and a slice of cake in the other. An odd combination. “I was just wondering, since he seems pretty down about something and you two have been ignoring each other all day.”

Mahiru sighed. “It’s really none of your business, you know.”

Hajime didn’t argue with that. That was what she liked about him: he knew when he was wrong and others were right. “True, but let me just say this. He really does care about your well-being, you know, and if he was being overprotective, well… There’s a reason for that.”

“…Go on,” Mahiru said, eyes narrowing, daring him to say something stupid.

“Well, remember how he was the one to find your body?” She nodded. “He kind of feels responsible. He thinks that if he’d just come a tad bit earlier he would have been able to save you.”

Mahiru bit her lip. She hadn’t thought of that. “That’s stupid. He would have died along with me had he got there sooner.”

“Maybe, maybe not,” Hajime said, taking a sip of his drink. “He _is_ pretty strong, you know.”

She couldn’t fight with him on that. She didn’t know the mechanic half as well as Hajime did. What were they? Soul friends? It was something like that. “It’s still not his fault, though. It’s no one’s fault but Monokuma’s, or Enoshima’s, whatever you want to call them. I thought everyone understood that.”

“Life isn’t as clean cut as that,” Hajime said with a shrug. “I just wanted…”

Mahiru was about to scold him for trailing off when she noticed him looking out the window. She followed his gaze and squinted, trying to make heads or tails of what she was seeing. A helicopter was hovering dangerously close to the island, right above the place Togami had parked last time. It was dark now, so she wasn’t sure, but she could have sworn the Future Foundation logo was embellished on the side of the aircraft.

“Is that…?”

Hajime nodded slowly. “Seems like it, yeah… Come on, they have to be here for a reason.”

Mahiru, who had finished her slice of cake by this point, tossed her rubbish in the bin before following Hajime outside. Fuyuhiko and Peko were the first to follow them, apparently having seen it too. Everyone else didn’t waste much time in running out too, Ibuki complaining in the background about not being able to perform her song.

True to form, Akane and Nekomaru ended up at the front of the pack, reaching the central island first. Light was minimal on the central island, especially with the administration building’s lights out, and so Mahiru almost slammed into Nekomaru’s back when he stopped short.

Togami was back, but he didn’t step out of the helicopter. Makoto was the only one to greet them, and while he had a small smile on his face, Mahiru could tell it was a little forced. He looked tired and restless, like he wanted to get everything done at once. He probably did.

“Hey, guys, uh… I’m going to need to borrow some of you,” was the first thing that came out of his mouth.

“Borrow? We’re not library books, you know,” Fuyuhiko mumbled to himself. Peko took his hands and squeezed it.

If Makoto heard it, he didn’t give any indication. “I need Souda and Hinata, specifically.”

The two boys in question looked at each other, confused. The former said, “Us? What do you need us to do?”

“Can I explain when we get there?” Makoto asked, though it sounded more like he was begging them. Whether it was because it was hard to explain, he was in a rush, or both, Mahiru couldn’t tell.

Kazuichi growled. “C’mon, give us some idea!”

Makoto hesitated, his voice making a strangled sound in his throat. It was kind of like someone was sighing while they had water in their throat. “I don’t know if –”

Togami interrupted the shorter boy, his words ringing loud and clear despite him being inside the helicopter. “Damnit, tell them, Naegi!”

Mahiru had been under the distinct impression that Makoto was the leader of the Future Foundation members, or at least the members who frequented the island, but the way Togami spoke was more commanding, more forceful. She didn’t know which she would prefer as her leader, but that was beside the point.

Makoto sighed in defeat. “Okay. We need Souda to help fix the machines down near the airport. Others need to be able to get into the country without the threat of their lives, and you’re the only person we know who would be able to take on the job.”

Kazuichi weighed his options for a second, biting his nails with his sharp teeth. “Alright, I’ll go if Hinata goes.”

Hajime crossed his arms, looking determined. “What do I have to do?”

Naegi looked like he wanted to disappear when he said, “We need to question you. Or, well, it’s not us questioning you. It’s just that Towa Monaka wants to see you. She said she would speak to either you or Komaeda, and since Komaeda is comatose…”

Mahiru’s blood ran cold. Everyone on the island stood still, unmoving as they all waited for Hajime to respond. They all knew about Kamakura and how it was Hajime, but they never mentioned it as they knew it was a sore spot for the boy. He looked incredibly uncomfortable even though Makoto hadn’t stated it outright: Monaka wanted him because of who he used to be.

Eventually, he said, “Fine… Fine, I’ll do it, but no messing with my brain, okay? I’m not turning back into _that_.”

“Don’t worry, you won’t. We won’t let you,” Makoto said, already turning back to the helicopter. “We don’t have much time, come on!”

The three boys ran to the helicopter, climbing in one by one. As soon as the door was shut, Togami lifted their ride off the ground, not even glancing below. He and Makoto were already in a deep conversation, the other two boys looking uneasy as they stared at the friends they were leaving behind.

Some of them waved, some of them didn’t. Mahiru was in between, lifting her hand and shaking it only a little. Only Hajime seemed to catch it, as he could see her better from his window, and he gave her an uneasy smile as they began to fly away.

* * *

 

Mahiru couldn’t sleep that night. Her mind kept returning to Towa City and what could possibly be happening there. She was sure they were only being told the light version of it, watered down so they wouldn’t worry. She could understand why, since they still had three more people to wake up among recovering themselves, but she thought they shouldn’t have been underestimated like that. They needed to know the truth whether they liked it or not.

It was about two in the morning when she gave up trying to sleep, going downstairs and making herself a cup of tea. Coffee would just keep her awake all the more, but hopefully some herbal green would send her to dreamland. She had only taken a few sips when someone else appeared at the doorway to the dining room.

“Oh, good evening – well, morning – Koizumi-san,” Sonia said, giving a little bow. “Could you perhaps not sleep either?”

Mahiru shook her head. “No, I couldn’t. If you want some tea there should still be some in the pot.”

Sonia shot her a grateful smile before disappearing into the kitchen, reappearing a few minutes later with a cup of her own. She sat in the chair next to Mahiru, moving it closer and bringing her legs up so they were closed in against her chest.

“I am concerned for Hinata-san and Souda-san,” Sonia said, her voice low. “Towa City is such a risk. I really would prefer that they stayed here, but…” She paused, pursing her lips together. “I cannot complain. The air service is essential, and it is quite possible that some citizens of Novoselic may use it to come and find me. Though I am not sure whether that is for the better or for the worst.”

Mahiru didn’t ask. It wasn’t her business. “I’m sure they can handle it. I mean, I may not find them incredibly reliable, but that’s probably just my high standards, or so I’m told.”

The self-depreciating joke seemed to work, as Sonia smiled. “While we are here, Koizumi-san, may I ask your advice on a certain matter?”

Was it just her, or was Sonia blushing a little? “Yeah, sure, what is it?”

“Well, it’s about Gundam…” She took a sip. “We do normal ‘couple’ things, at least normal in Japan, but we have not discussed any official titles.”

Mahiru looked up from her cup, surprised. “You haven’t? I was under the impression you two were already together by the time I woke up.”

Sonia shrugged. “I’m not sure what we are. I know he appears a little strange to everyone else, but underneath it all Gundam is simply shy. He does not have proper knowledge of social cues when it comes to friendship, let alone a relationship. It does not matter to me, but…”

“You should talk about that with him,” Mahiru said. “Communication is key in every relationship. I think that’s the only reason my parents are – were – still going strong.”

Sonia didn’t comment on the added present tense, which she was thankful for. “Yes, that is a good idea, Koizumi-san. I will most certainly do that later today if I am not asleep. Thank you.”

“It was nothing,” Mahiru said with a small smile. She didn’t know much about relationships, at least not romantic ones, so she wasn’t sure how much of her advice would pay off. She had taken plenty of photographs of people in love, but it was a lot different from actually being in love herself.

A comfortable silence passed before Sonia spoke again. “Also, Koizumi-san, about Souda-san… Did you have an argument with him, perhaps? He seemed very stiff this – I mean, _yesterday_ morning and was very adamant about avoiding you.”

Mahiru didn’t really want to talk about it, but there was nothing to lose. It seemed as if everyone had noticed something. First Hajime, now Sonia. “Yes, we had an argument. I was just getting annoyed because I wanted to look after myself. I mean, I _can_ look after myself. Souda was making it out as if he didn’t want to look after me so I told him not to. He got angry at me, I got angry at him, and now here we are.”

Sonia pitied her. Mahiru could see it on her face. “Once he comes back you two should also talk about your problems. I don’t like my friends to fight.”

The princess downed the rest of her tea before standing up and giving her shoulder a squeeze. Without another word, she flounced back up the stairs, leaving the photographer to her thoughts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Souda's a horrible liar and Mahiru doesn't like to lie so of course everyone knows something's up.
> 
> Also let's all just take a moment to imagine a panicked Togami screaming from inside a helicopter.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warning: Excessive violence (choking and head trauma).

Mahiru was only able to fall asleep at six in the morning, meaning she missed breakfast. She woke up at around noon, her stomach growling and yelling at her to fill it. As someone who took pride in her sleeping habits, she was annoyed that she didn’t have the willpower to wake up earlier. She didn’t want her sleeping patterns to go haywire.

She was about to go have a snack to tide her over before dinner when she heard voices from downstairs. She wasn’t usually an eavesdropper, but she couldn’t tear herself away once she heard who it was.

“What did you wish to talk about, my Lady of Darkness?”

Sonia hesitated, or at least Mahiru assumed she did. “Us, Gundam.”

Gundam made a choking sound. “What about us?”

“What are we?” Sonia’s words were rushed and forced, like she had no control over them. “I mean, we have never really spoken about it before. You show me affection, more so than anyone else, but I still wonder.”

One of the chairs made a groaning sound as it was dragged across the floor. Gundam’s voice was low as he spoke. “I was not aware you were so worried. May I be so bold as to ask what you want?”

Silence. Then, “I would really like to be with you, Gundam. Officially.”

“I would like nothing more.” Mahiru could practically see the smile Gundam was wearing.

The voices stopped then, though Mahiru still didn’t travel downstairs. She wanted to give them their moment, make sure they were completely content with their situation before she interrupted. After a minute or so, she decided that was enough time, for she was hungry and they could have their loving moment elsewhere.

When she entered the dining room, the couple in question didn’t even jump back. They were content, Sonia with her face against Gundam’s shoulder, a small smile gracing her face. For once, Gundam didn’t seem repulsed by physical contact, his arm around Sonia’s waist, his thumb rubbing her side. It was a lovely sight.

“Good afternoon,” Mahiru said. She and Sonia shared a knowing smile as she went into the kitchen looking for something healthy to eat.

The fridge was packed to the brim, and for the first time she wondered where Teruteru received his ingredients. It wasn’t as if they were back in the simulation and food could just appear before them. She pushed the thought to the back of her mind, knowing Teruteru wouldn’t do anything bad with the food, and continued looking for something to eat.

She found a bunch of bananas, snapping one off before peeling it. She was about to return to the dining room when a piercing sound echoed throughout the hospital. It was like an alarm, the force of the sound making her head hurt once again. She almost dropped the banana as she clutched her head and stumbled into the dining room.

Sonia and Gundam were still there, but they were now standing up, completely alert. The former saw Mahiru and ran to her, leaning down so they were eye-level.

“Koizumi-san!” Sonia’s voice was slightly muffled by the alarm. “Are you alright? No, of course you are not. Once we get to the pod room everything should be fine.”

Mahiru didn’t really understand what was going on, but she followed Sonia and Gundam upstairs anyway. The princess didn’t drop her hold on her, keeping her steady as she staggered along, banana still in hand. She didn’t feel like eating anymore, but she didn’t want to waste perfectly good food, and so she made sure she still had it as they approached the pod room.

The door was already open and they could hear voices inside. The alarm stopped sounding as the three of them stepped into the room and she felt like a burden had been lifted. It took a few good seconds for her to shake the dark splotches from her vision, but when she did she was surprised by what she saw.

Everyone was gathered around Nagito’s pod. Mikan was the closest, pulling the lid open and taking out her clipboard. She didn’t say anything to anyone else, completely focused on inspecting Nagito, checking his vitals. The others were all speaking to each other in hushed tones, looking worried.

“Does that alarm have something to do with Komaeda?” Mahiru asked. She was still a little breathless.

Sonia nodded against her arm. “Whenever one of the comatose students responds the alarm is set off. It is fairly loud, but we can’t change it, I’m afraid. We should have warned you.”

Mahiru shifted so she was standing upright once more. She forced herself to take a bite of her banana. “It’s fine. So… Komaeda’s going to be moved to one of the rooms soon?”

“Yes,” Gundam said, petting Maga-Z. “It was the same with you, myself, and every single one of the comatose students. More than likely, he will be taken to one of the spare rooms upstairs and be watched over by the nurse until he awakens.”

Mahiru didn’t respond, instead watching Mikan fuss over the white haired boy. She didn’t seem too concerned about him, not caring that he had practically tried to kill them all multiple times. The thought made Mahiru’s stomach twist. She didn’t understand why a guy like him was recovering faster than Hiyoko.

She suddenly felt the dire need to leave, to get away from the pod room. Everything seemed to be closing in, the wires thicker than they used to be. She needed to get out of there before she fainted, and even her need to see Hiyoko was blocked by that creeping feeling.

“I’m, um… I’m going to call Hinata and tell him that Komaeda will be waking up soon,” she mumbled without looking at Sonia or Gundam. “Where’s the communication device you were telling me about?”

Even though she couldn’t see Sonia’s face, she felt the concern in her voice as she said, “It’s just across the hall. It’s fairly easy to use.”

Mahiru simply nodded and rushed out of the room, chucking her banana in the nearby waste bin. She no longer had an appetite. She just wanted to get out of there and distract herself. If that meant working the communication between them and Towa City, so be it.

The room was small and dull. There was only a desk on the opposite side to the door, a screen sitting upright next to a camera. It was a computer of some sort, she realized, though there was no keyboard, only a mouse. The system was already on, a window already maximized. It was similar to a video capture program, and while there were many options on there, the button that caught her eye was a big blue one that said ‘connect’.

With a shrug, she pressed the button and waited. The screen turned black save for a small loading message that said, _‘Now connecting to Naegi, Kirigiri, and Young Money.’_ She wondered who had put in the Future Foundation’s contact name.

The person who answered wasn’t Naegi, Kirigiri, _or_ ‘Young Money’, though Mahiru would have preferred it to be any of them. Instead, a familiar mop of pink hair appeared on the screen and her heart plummeted all the way down to her stomach.

“No, Hinata! I got this!” Kazuichi was saying, face turned away from the camera. “I can take – oh, hello, Koizumi.”

“Souda.” Mahiru remained stony-faced as she nodded in acknowledgement. “I assume Hinata is there with you?”

Kazuichi’s eyes softened, and he even looked a little sad as he replied, “Yeah, he is. Hold on.”

Mahiru waited as Kazuichi walked away from the camera. She could hear voices coming from off-screen, but they weren’t distinct enough for her to pick up what they were saying. Just when she was beginning to lose patience, Hajime appeared on the screen. He looked dishevelled and incredibly tired.

“Hello, Koizumi-san. Are you doing well?” he asked with a forced smile.

“Better than you, it seems,” Mahiru said, eyebrows raised. Her eyes drank in his appearance once more, and that was enough for her to go into ‘mother mode’. “Are you getting enough sleep, Hinata? Did you eat? Please tell me you’ve eaten, at least.”

Hajime didn’t answer straight away, sighing and running a hand through his hair. “I’m fine, Koizumi. It’s just been a long day. Now, I assume there’s a reason you’re calling up?”

Oh, right. Mahiru cleared her throat. “It’s about Komaeda.”

Hajime stood up straighter, eyes wider and more focused. “What about him?”

“He’s awake,” she said. She couldn’t look him in the eye, not after her thoughts about him and Hiyoko back in the pod room. “Well, he’s not awake completely, but he’s responding. Tsumiki-san’s examining him now and she’s going to move him when she’s ready. I just thought I’d call and tell you since you were waiting for him to wake up, as was Naegi-san.”

The boy in front of her looked as if he wanted to scream from both joy and anger. “That’s fantastic! But of course it would happen while I’m over here.”

She frowned. “How are things? Over there, I mean.”

Another sigh. “They’re alright. For us, anyway. Souda’s on a break right now since he’s been working practically nonstop since we got here, even through the night. I keep telling him to sleep but he won’t. As for things on my end, well, I haven’t met Monaka yet. I’ve just been helping Naegi and Kirigiri out with some stuff.”

“You should meet with her soon. And don’t be scared. It’s unbecoming of a man.” Hajime smiled at that. “Also… Also, tell Souda that I told him to rest. He probably won’t listen to me, but… Just try. And tell Naegi what I told you.”

Hajime smiled, but she could still see the tiredness in his eyes. “I will, I promise.”

She let out a deep breath as the screen went black.

* * *

 

The next few days passed without incident, but Mahiru still wasn’t feeling her best. Her sleeping schedule had become more out of sorts, and she hadn’t properly slept for a while. Whenever she laid down, her mind began to whirl, taking her to places other than sleep. She thought about Hajime and Kazuichi, who were still in Towa City without the rest of them. There was also Nagito, who she felt sorry for, and yet she couldn’t help but wonder why he had woken up before Hiyoko.

She had given up trying to sleep now. She had decided to live on coffee for the rest of her life and stay awake, preoccupying herself with this and that so she didn’t have to listen to her own thoughts. The pounding in the back of her head was becoming more frequent now, and she knew Mikan was getting worried, though she was more focused on Nagito at the moment to say anything. If she knew Mahiru was constantly running on caffeine, she wouldn’t allow it.

That was why she had taken to hiding out in the library on the second island. No one usually came in, though she usually stayed on the upper floor in a dark corner just in case. Sonia and Gundam had come in together for a time, but she hadn’t disturbed them. The following day, Peko had been in and out, checking out a book on animals. Other than that, she had been alone.

On her fourth day of no sleep, she was once again in her dark corner. There was a couch upstairs that she could lie on as she read her photography books, though she made sure her feet were dangling over the edge. It would be bad manners to get the material dirty.

She groaned as she realized she had just read the same paragraph three times. She was losing her focus, which meant she needed more coffee. It was becoming dark, so she was sure Teruteru would be starting dinner at this point, though if she was quick she may be able slip in and out without being noticed. She wasn’t in the mood for a proper meal.

Making up her mind, she stood up and slid her current book back where it belonged, not wanting to leave it lying around. She didn’t want anyone to know she was here, and besides, the place deserved to be tidy.

The sunset on Jabberwock Island was beautiful, and many of Mahiru’s own pictures proved it. Judging from the colours, it wouldn’t be long before the sky was an endless navy blue, and stars were already beginning to shine through. Knowing that everyone would be in the dining room soon, she picked up her pace, determined to get her coffee. Her life depended on it.

Everything was going well until she stepped into the dining room. Mikan was already there along with Akane and Nekomaru, who were still sweaty from their training. Mahiru’s stomach dropped as she realized she probably wouldn’t get away from dinner this time.

Akane was the first to see her. “Yo, Koizumi! Where have ya been?”

Mahiru shrugged, trying to be as vague as possible. “Here and there, taking photos.” It wasn’t a complete lie. She had taken some brilliant photos of the library.

“Um, Koizumi-san…” Mikan was suddenly next to her, looking as timid as she usually did. “You haven’t been at meal times for the past couple of days. Have you been eating enough?”

She forced a smile. “Of course I have, Tsumiki-san.” She really hoped she sounded sincere.

Mikan didn’t look too convinced. “And whenever I check in the mornings, you’re still asleep. Have you been sleeping at night?”

“Of course,” Mahiru said, trying to smile wider, but she was sure it only came out as a grimace.

Nekomaru sighed and placed a hand on her shoulder. The metal was cold even through her shirt, and she couldn’t help but shiver. “Koizumi, it doesn’t take a nurse to tell that you haven’t been feeling too well. You don’t have to tell us what’s wrong, but please just eat. For us.”

Mahiru closed her eyes and sighed. “Alright, fine. What are we having tonight?”

Akane raised her head and sniffed the air. “It smells like… It smells like roast chicken and soup on the side.” She started drooling. “It smells delicious…”

With a laugh, the four of them sat down at the table and waited for the others. No one came for about five minutes or so, but when they did they all stood up, ready for action.

Fuyuhiko had burst through the door. He wasn’t panting, so he hadn’t run too far, but he definitely looked distressed. Once his eyes locked on Mikan, he spoke.

“Tsumiki! It’s Komaeda, come quick!”

Mikan didn’t have to be told twice. She leaped up from her chair, knocking it over in the process, and followed Fuyuhiko upstairs. The three remaining students in the dining room all looked at each other, unsure of what to do. Then Mahiru saw her opportunity.

“I’m going to make sure they’re alright,” she said.

Before anyone could protest, she was already trotting upstairs. She never thought she would appreciate Nagito waking up during dinner, but here they were. Nekomaru called for her as she reached the landing, but she didn’t answer him.

Nagito’s room was a few doors down from hers, between Ibuki’s room and the one reserved for Byakuya once he woke up. There was already a commotion coming from inside. She recognized Ibuki’s voice screaming, though she didn’t seem to be in any pain, just very concerned. Without delay, she sped into the room, stopping short by the doorway.

Nagito was definitely awake, alright. There was a crazy look in his eyes, the same look he’d had when he revealed his true self to everyone at the trial. He was already out of bed despite looking like he had just woken up, and his IV drips were still attached to him. He was growling, his arm extended as he held Mikan against the wall by her throat. She was struggling, though it was obvious she was trying to get out of the hold without hurting him in the process.

“Komaeda, knock it off, you crazy asshole!” Fuyuhiko screamed. He tried to pull Nagito away, but he only fell back onto the bed. Peko immediately rushed to his side.

Ibuki was in the corner screaming. “Komaeda’s gone crazy! He’s gone crazy!”

“He was already fucking crazy!” Fuyuhiko spat, rubbing his lower back.

Mahiru finally found her voice. “What the hell is going on here?!”

Fuyuhiko stormed to her side as Peko pulled out her sword. “I dunno! Peko and I were passing by when we saw Ibuki in here. We were going to invite her to go down to dinner with us, but then this crazy jackass woke up and started laughing. Then when Tsumiki came in he started strangling her. What the fuck?!”

Mahiru forced herself to look ahead at the action. Peko now had her sword completely drawn, one of the sides lightly touching Nagito’s throat. He didn’t seem to take notice, laughing harder as his eyes moved over Mikan’s face, which was slowly losing colour.

Biting her lip, Mahiru made her decision. She couldn’t let this go on. They needed Mikan around so they could all remain healthy. They needed her talent, but Mahiru’s…

“Oi, Komaeda!”

Nagito immediately let go of Mikan, letting her slide to the floor as she gasped for air. When he saw Mahiru, his cheshire grin returned and his eyes seemed to swirl with recognition. “Koizumi-san! How is your hope today? How are you after you practically helped commit a murder? Did it bring you hope? Did Sato-san bring you hope?”

Mahiru staggered backwards, almost hitting the doorframe. “What… What are you talking about, Komaeda?!”

The grin dropped. It wasn’t a slow transition, but a very fast one. If one blinked they could have missed it. “Do you want me to remind you, Koizumi-san?”

“Remind me?” She knew she shouldn’t have asked. She knew it, but she couldn’t let his attention return to Mikan.

The smile returned and a wave of nausea hit her. He began to laugh as he slowly walked towards her. She was almost out the door when he grabbed her by the sleeves of her shirt, dragging her to the edge of the bed. Fuyuhiko tried to reach for her, but the luckster was too quick.

“Despair is only to be held by trash like myself. I will murder the despair and bring forth the hope! I will be the Super High School Level Hope! I am the embodiment of true hope!” Nagito screamed to no one in particular.

Then it began.

Mahiru’s head came into contact with the wall Mikan had been pressed up against only moments ago. She screeched in pain, but that didn’t stop Nagito. He forced her head against the wall once more, twice more, a number of times she couldn’t count. She could hear her voice becoming fainter and her vision was beginning to blur.

As sudden as it had started, it ended. Nagito’s hand went limp against the collar of her shirt and she slumped to the ground, right next to Mikan. She tried to reach out for the other girl, but when she blinked she was gone.

The last thing she heard was Nagito’s confused voice. “I don’t understand.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't worry, there's a reason Komaeda is a bit off the rails, so to speak. It'll be explained. This isn't the first time this has happened to them, though. Mikan was the same when she woke up due to the despair disease. Not everyone's awakening was as calm as Mahiru's.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Koizumi and Souda: actual old married couple.

It was about three in the morning when Mahiru finally woke up. She didn’t know what day it was, nor did she know how long she had been asleep. The last thing she remembered was Nagito and his breakdown, the pain she felt as he rammed her head against the wall over and over again. It was enough to make her shudder.

Her room was dark, so it took a while for her eyes to adjust. Once she did, she noticed the figure sitting in the chair next to her. Even in the dark, the yellow jumpsuit was easy to make out, and her heart lurched. She wondered how long he had been back. And why wasn’t he in his own room?

Knowing she wouldn’t be falling back asleep anytime soon, she poked Kazuichi, trying to wake him up. When he didn’t respond, she started nudging him harder, and she was slapping him by the time he actually stirred.

“Huh? Ugh… Five more minutes, Koizumi…” He jumped in his seat. “Wait, Koizumi?! You’re awake?”

She rolled her eyes. “Yes, genius.” She hesitated. “…How long have I been unconscious?”

“Earlier Tsumiki said it was about four days. She said there wasn’t any brain damage since the force Komaeda used on you wasn’t enough. He’d just woken up,” he said.

“Could’ve fooled me,” she mumbled. “I feel like death.”

He winced. “Please don’t say that.”

She decided to change the subject, though she was becoming more aware of the fact that this was Kazuichi, the same person she had fought with not too long ago. “How long have you been back, anyway?”

“Um…” He looked at his watch. “It was at about eight last night. Hinata’s back too and Naegi’s here with Asahina to help with Komaeda. We heard about what happened right after it happened, but we couldn’t get away from Towa until now.”

Mahiru tugged on her bangs. “Is Tsumiki-san alright?”

“She’s fine. A few bruises, but nothing she can’t handle. She’s been running around, trying to make you better since you’ve been stuck in here.”

She nodded. Both of them fell into an uncomfortable silence, neither of them looking at the other. Memories of their fight were playing in Mahiru’s head, and she was sure it was the same for him. There wasn’t any other reason why he would be this quiet. He was usually a blabbermouth unless he was working.

“Look, Koizumi… I’m sorry,” he finally said, words cutting through the quiet atmosphere. “I shouldn’t have yelled at you like that. I know you’re capable. I just wanted to make sure you were recovering properly. And I do really want to look after you.”

“I’m sorry too.”

She didn’t know who was more surprised at her apology, him or her. It was rare for her to apologize to anyone, let alone a boy, but she felt he deserved it. Maybe she had bumped her head harder than Tsumiki had thought.

When he didn’t respond, only staring at her with wide eyes, she continued. “You were only trying to look out for me and I obviously wasn’t completely healed. Now I’m back to square one.”

“Speaking of which, that was very brave of you to go and do that,” he said. “I probably would have stood there and screamed like Ibuki did.”

She couldn’t deny that. “I figured since Tsumiki-san needed to be saved… What I mean is, we really need her talent around here. Photographs don’t do anything to make people better, but her nursing skills can. It was just a question of who was needed more.”

His face hardened. “No talking like that. All of our lives are equal. Even… Even Komaeda’s. It took Sonia-san slapping me in the face for me to see that, but she was right.”

Mahiru brought her knees up to her chest. Her mind wandered to the previous week when she had been cursing Nagito waking up before Hiyoko. Even if he had done that to her, he was still as entitled to get better as the rest of them. He just had a longer way to go.

“What are you thinking about?” Kazuichi asked, moving from the chair to the bed.

She was about to tell him it wasn’t his business, but she didn’t want to get into another fight with him. She sighed. “Last week when Komaeda showed signs of recovery I kept thinking why he had to wake up before Hiyoko-chan.”

“Is that why you weren’t eating or sleeping properly?” Kazuichi asked. At her questioning look he said, “Tsumiki told me.”

Mahiru laid back down, letting her legs relax in front of her. “Yeah, that was part of the reason. Another part of it was because I was worried about you and Hinata. You especially, since I’d never been able to tell you I was sorry before you left. Towa City’s dangerous. I didn’t know what would happen to you two over there.”

His eyebrows scrunched together. “You were worried about me? Never thought I’d see the day someone said that to me.”

“Oh, come on,” she said. “Didn’t your parents worry about you?”

Kazuichi fell silent, his eyes dropping to his hands as they fidgeted against the bedsheets. His reaction gave her all the answers she needed to know.

“Oh.”

“Yeah…”

She had thought her family was bad. Her mother was away all the time, but she called home constantly to show how much she loved them. Her father had been a dead beat who never lifted a finger around the house, but he still loved her and told her so almost every day. She really took that for granted.

Now she probably wouldn’t see either of them again.

“What… What was your family like?” she ventured to ask.

Kazuichi looked surprised by the question, but he answered anyway. “It wasn’t much of a family. No mum. Dad hit me. Thought it was normal at the time.”

He may have acted nonchalant about it, but Mahiru wasn’t having any of it. “He hit you? What kind of man does that to their own child? No, forget about that. That’s not a man. That’s an idiotic child.”

Kazuichi smiled softly. It was small, no teeth to be seen, but she could tell how happy he was by the way his eyes looked. They were bright, or as bright as they could be in the darkness, almost twinkling. It was probably the most sincere smile she had ever seen him wear.

More silence passed between them, but it was more comfortable this time. Mahiru took the time to slide her cardigan on, the night air in the room being fairly cold. She was somewhat thankful that her hair was longer now, covering her neck and keeping it warm.

“I’m still gonna kick Komaeda’s ass, though.”

She couldn’t help but laugh. “Don’t, don’t. He’s… He’s troubled. Do they know why he was acting that way?”

Kazuichi shrugged. “A bunch of medical words were thrown around that I didn’t understand. Apparently Komaeda has a form of dementia and they think that’s why he’s a bit more unhinged about everything. The simulation was able to change his memories, but it couldn’t change the fact that he still has dementia, so it’s still as bad as it was when he went into the simulation. That’s why the change is so drastic to us.”

“I don’t know much about dementia, but would someone react that way just because of it?” Mahiru asked, partially to herself.

“I think it’s that mixed with his usual screwed up personality,” Kazuichi said. “He’s taken a shine to Naegi, though.”

She laughed again. It was surprising how much he had that effect on her. “How was fixing things in Towa City? You slept, right? Hinata was telling me you didn’t have many breaks.”

He gave a nervous laugh. “I slept as much as I could, but there was a lot to do. Machines aren’t fixed in a matter of minutes, even by the Super High School Level Mechanic.”

Guilt swelled in her chest. “And I woke you up. Sorry, I shouldn’t have,” she said, pushing him off the bed so he had to stand up. “I’m fine now, so you should go back to your room and sleep, okay?”

“But –”

“Souda.”

“Koizumi.”

“ _Kazuichi_.”

“ _Mahiru_.”

She gave him the biggest motherly glare she could muster, making sure he knew she meant business. After a few seconds, he raised his hands and let them fall to his sides as he looked away, effectively breaking their staring contest. She smiled smugly, knowing she had won.

“Fine, fine, I’m going. See you later.”

With one last smile, he slipped out the door.

* * *

 

Mahiru managed to get one more hour of sleep between three and seven in the morning, being woken up by Mikan coming into her room. As meek as the girl usually was, she could be rather loud while she worked, sometimes even humming to herself. At least she sounded decent.

Mikan jumped as she raised her head, not having expected her patient to be up. “O-Oh, Koizumi-san! You’re awake! How’s your head? Does it hurt? Where does it hurt?”

“Tsumiki-san, please calm down,” Mahiru said. She pointed to the right side of her head, the side that had made contact with the wall. “Here hurts a little right now, but that’s to be expected, right?”

Mikan nodded. “Yes. You don’t have any brain damage, but your head may hurt for a little while, so please take it easy for the next couple of days.” She looked around. “W-Wait, I thought Souda-san was here?”

“Hm? Oh.” Mahiru had almost forgotten about Kazuichi. “I forced him to go back to his room to sleep last night after I assured him I was feeling better.”

“Okay, good,” Mikan said as she wrote something on her clipboard. “I-I tried to get him to leave last night since he was so sleep deprived, but he insisted on staying here.”

Mahiru honestly didn’t have the heart to be mad at him. She was more moved about his stubbornness than anything. “And you, Tsumiki-san? How are you feeling?”

The collar of Mikan’s shirt was higher than usual, but that still wasn’t enough to hide the fading bruises strung around her neck. They looked like a necklace. “I’m fine. It’s thanks to you, Koizumi-san, so thank you.”

Mahiru only smiled as the nurse continued. They did some basic checks, making sure her reflexes and vision were alright. Everything was in perfect working order, at least for the most part, the only problem being the pain in her head. That would fade soon, just like Mikan’s bruises, which she was grateful for. Hopefully nothing else dangerous would happen, but with the world the way it was right now that was a very high standard to set.

She was forced to eat breakfast in bed, which wouldn’t have been so bad had she not heard everyone laughing and having a good time downstairs. Mikan had insisted despite it being not too far away. Her room was right near the stairs, not up the other end of the hallway like Hiyoko’s or Akane’s.

It was around ten when she was finally allowed to leave, and she took no time in waiting to take a shower and get dressed. She felt refreshed afterwards and ready to take some pictures, so she set out to the fourth island, a place she hadn’t properly explored yet. She had mostly stuck to what she knew, which was the first, second, and now third islands, not wanting to get lost.

The place was certainly colourful, she’d give it that, but there was nothing worth taking a picture of, at least not without someone there to enjoy it. Taking a picture of the rollercoaster, for example, would be incredibly boring if there wasn’t anyone riding it. There was no amusement park if people weren’t running around, being amused.

She was about to turn back when someone called, “Koizumi!”

Kazuichi appeared from the other side of the rollercoaster. He looked like he hadn’t woken up too long ago, seeming refreshed and happy. She smiled when she saw him and walked over, placing her camera back around her neck.

“Get any good shots?” he asked as she stopped in front of him.

She shook her head. “Nope. If I take pictures of just the rides and all without anyone on them it just doesn’t have the same touch to it. It needs to be an amusement park in motion, with hundreds of people going about their business and having fun. What are you doing here?”

“Touching up the rides, making adjustments so they work better,” he said.

She gave him a sceptical look, eyeing him up and down. “It’s not some kind of death trap now, is it?”

He laughed. Had his laugh always sounded so nice? “Nah. You just need to have more faith in me, y’know?! The rides here haven’t been used in a while, so Kuzuryuu sent me out here to fix them up.”

“Kuzuryuu?” Mahiru blinked. “Why was he so concerned with the rides all of a sudden?”

Kazuichi shrugged. “I dunno. I didn’t ask. I was getting bored, so I just went and did what I had to. Now I’m done and it still looks like it’s morning.”

“It is,” Mahiru said with a nod. “It was ten when Tsumiki-san finally let me out of my room.”

“I was wondering why I didn’t see you at breakfast.” Kazuichi shot her his trademark grin, the points of his sharp teeth glinting in the sunlight. “C’mon, let’s go find something to do. You’d think on an island like this we’d never get bored.”

The two of them started walking towards the bridge, but they stopped short when they saw Akane rushing towards them, running like the wind. If she had run all the way from the hospital, it didn’t show. Even though she was slightly weaker than before, she was still incredibly athletic.

“Owari, what is it?” Kazuichi asked.

“Um… What was it again?” A look of confusion flashed across Akane’s face. “Oh, right. Naegi told me to come and get you, Koizumi. Somethin’ about talking to Komaeda or whatever.”

Mahiru felt like she was going to throw-up. She didn’t think she would have to face Nagito this soon after she had woken up, but she knew that if she didn’t do it now she would keep putting it off. In any case, if Makoto thought it was a good idea, she supposed she couldn’t argue too much.

Kazuichi scowled, eyes narrowing. “Koizumi, you don’t –”

“Fine, I’ll go. Might as well.”

His eyes bugged out of his head. “Are you sure? If that’s the case, I’m coming with you.”

“You don’t have to, Souda.”

“Koizumi.”

“Souda.”

“ _Mahiru_.”

“ _Kazuichi_.”

The two were stuck in a staring contest, glaring each other down to win. Akane looked at the both of them, one after the other, before saying, “Oh, I almost forgot. Kuzuryuu said he wanted Souda to fix some stuff down on the fifth island once he’s done with the amusement park. Something about factory machinery?”

Kazuichi groaned, slapping his hand on his face. “What is _with_ him today? First the amusement park, now this. Fine, fine, but that’s all I’m doing, got it?”

With one last grumble, he walked past Akane, heading to the central island. His jumpsuit looked far too bright in the sun, Mahiru noticed, and she had to look away. At least he had been a good distraction from the impending doom that was probably waiting in Nagito’s room.

She and Akane both walked back to the third island, though the latter tended to run on ahead. Mahiru’s pace was too slow for her, it seemed. The gymnast always needed to be moving in some way or another. Mahiru guessed it was because of all the food she ate. It built up far too much energy for her to lose in an average day.

The hospital was fairly quiet when they walked in save for the voices coming from Nagito’s room. Akane left her at the door and raced down to the kitchen, probably getting a snack. Mahiru watched her go before taking a deep breath and knocking.

Asahina was the one who greeted her. “Oh, Koizumi! There you are, come in.”

Nagito’s room was much calmer now that his episode had finished. Makoto was on one side of Nagito’s bed, watching her, while Hajime was on the other, his head down. He looked worse for wear, and Mahiru wondered whether he had slept properly during his time away. Nagito looked nothing like he had those few nights ago, his face no longer contorted in anger or a malicious smile. He looked content, smiling at her warmly as she approached.

“Koizumi-san, thanks for coming,” Makoto said. “Are you feeling better? Tsumiki-san said there were no serious injuries or damage done.”

Mahiru wasn’t feeling the best, if she was to be completely honest, but that was only because of her present company. “I’m fine, for the most part. Is there any particular reason why you called me here?”

Makoto simply gestured to Nagito, who was still looking at her. She waited for him to speak or stand, do _anything_. It took him a few seconds, but he managed to speak.

“I’m sorry, Koizumi-san. I was acting unbecoming for trash such as myself,” he said, though he didn’t seem too remorseful. “I had just woken up, see. I was disoriented. I only wanted to bring the hope out of you, to see you face adversity.”

She didn’t trust her voice, so she simply nodded. It was actually a little relieving that he sounded normal, or at least as normal as he had been during the simulation. He could still carry a proper conversation, even if there was still a difference in morals.

Makoto spoke up again. “He just wanted to apologize. We’re really sorry we couldn’t be here to prevent this. It’s just that we were so caught up with Towa, and Komaeda-san has this –”

Mahiru silenced him by raising her hand. “It’s fine. Souda explained it to me in the simplest terms. It’s not anyone’s fault.

Even as she said that, she still couldn’t look Nagito in the eye.

“Thanks for understanding, Koizumi-san,” Makoto said, his eyes filled with warmth. “I promise I won’t let anything like this happen ever again.”

Mahiru wanted to retort, to say he shouldn’t make promises he couldn’t keep, but she held her tongue. She simply bowed and muttered a goodbye before leaving the room. As soon as she was in the corridor and the door was shut behind her, her shoulders relaxed and she let herself breathe properly once again.

She didn’t have much of a break for long, however, as Fuyuhiko was standing right outside the door. He looked nervous, not like his usual confident self. She found it a little amusing to see him so riled up.

“Ah, Koizumi,” he said as he saw her. “I need your advice on something.”

Was everyone in need of her today? “What is it?”

Fuyuhiko’s eyes scanned the corridor. “Let’s go to your room, or somewhere equally as private. Also, is Souda on the fourth or fifth island?”

Mahiru started walking to her room, eyebrows raised. “Okay, sure. And yeah, he’s on the fifth island right now. Why do you ask? And why do you keep telling him to do all this stuff?”

“Souda can’t lie to save his own skin, so I don’t want him to overhear this. He’s always hovering over you, so I needed to keep him busy so I could ask you,” Fuyuhiko said as he slipped into Mahiru’s room, shutting the door behind him. “I’ve already asked Sonia as well, but I wanted a second opinion.”

Now she was really confused. “An opinion on what?”

“This.”

Fuyuhiko’s hand dug into his pocket, producing a small object. Even without the light glistening down on it, it was clear what it was: a small, silver ring with a diamond the size of her eye. Anyone looking at it would be able to guess who and what it was for.

Mahiru gaped at the ring, taking it in her hands and turning it around to inspect it. “Are you serious, Kuzuryuu? Where in the world did you get this?”

“I’m dead serious,” Kuzuryuu said, though a blush was beginning to form on his cheeks. “I asked Asahina for some favours a while back and she agreed. Well, she was able to find the actual ring part. The diamond itself was something I found lying on the beach one day. Lucky, really.”

“Indeed it was,” Mahiru said, handing it back.

Fuyuhiko carefully slid the ring back in his pocket, patting it for reassurance. “So, do you think she’ll like it?”

“You do know that she’ll love anything you give her, right? It could be the rustiest ring in the entire universe and the diamond could be cracked in a million pieces and she would still accept it,” she said, a smile on her face. “But yeah, I think she’ll love it.”

He sighed in relief, though he was still a bit tense. She couldn’t blame him. He could gather all the opinions he wanted, but he hadn’t yet asked the person who really mattered. Until then, he would still be a little stiff. “Thanks, Koizumi. I really appreciate the advice.”

As he left the room, Mahiru couldn’t help but smile. This was the kind of light they needed in their lives right now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been a bit stressed today and yesterday, so I'm sorry if my writing doesn't seem up to par. I'm honestly just really happy people are liking this story.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> FASHION, PUT IT ALL ON ME, DON'T YOU WANNA SEE THESE CLOTHES ON MEH.

“You two are what?!”

It was two days later that Fuyuhiko and Peko announced their engagement at dinner. Reactions were mixed, to say the least.

Mahiru and Sonia were the only ones not surprised, and both of them had knowing smiles on their faces. Teruteru had dropped the tray he was holding (though luckily there was nothing on it) on Mikan’s feet. Gundam and Nekomaru both had stunned expressions, though at least they didn’t seem horrified. It was more that they hadn’t been expecting such an event. Kazuichi had begun to choke on his rice and Hajime’s face showed both happiness and concern. Nagito looked overjoyed, ignoring Ibuki next to him who was practically shaking in excitement. The only person not reacting was Akane, who was far too engrossed in her meal.

Nagito stood up, his usual wide grin on his face. “Let me be the first to congratulate you! May your marriage bring hope that will shine through any and all despair that you will face from here on out!”

Kazuichi scowled from the other side of the table. “Sit down, Komaeda.”

Nagito sat down.

“But I, for one, am very happy for you!” Sonia said, voice filled with delight. “Oh, if only I had a makango! I wonder if I could ask Naegi-san to import one…”

Ibuki’s limbs were shaking, and it was obvious she was trying to hold her excitement in. A few seconds later, she burst, jumping up and knocking her chair down in the process. “Ooh, ooh, can Ibuki play the music at your wedding! I’m sure I can write a song just for this. Working title: _Engagement of a Lifetime_! Or, or, or, _the Wedding of Bamboo Swords and Baby Faces_!”

“Ah!” Teruteru almost dropped his tray again. “Of course! I must make a full course meal for the occasion, and you must have an engagement party. Those are two very different things, meaning two very different meal plans.”

Nekomaru’s boisterous laugh filled the air. “This is wonderful news, you two! Congratulations!”

Mahiru let everyone speak at once, not being able to control the smile on her face. Despite the surprise, everyone was acting positively. The one thing that made her heart fill with warmth was the fact that, even though everyone was in their own little worlds, acting strange, Fuyuhiko and Peko hadn’t taken their eyes off each other. The two looked happy, like they were married already. It was a beautiful sight to see.

As dinner ended, the students began to fizzle out, and in the end only Mahiru, Hajime, Fuyuhiko, and Peko remained in the dining room. Teruteru was not too far away, in the kitchen as per usual, and the atmosphere honestly felt like that of a home.

“So when’s the big day?” Hajime asked. He still looked as tired as he had when he returned.

Fuyuhiko shrugged. “It depends. We think it would be better if we wait for everyone to wake up and recover to the fullest. I just… We want everyone to be there, you know?”

Hajime nodded, understanding. “I know what you mean. There are some experiences that you just want to share with everyone.”

“Speaking of sharing things…” Fuyuhiko busied himself with the placemats on the table, not looking up. “What exactly happened with you and that Monaka chick? You haven’t said a word about it since you came back. Or is it some kind of confidential Future Foundation thing?”

Hajime looked even more tired than before, if that was even possible. It was as if he had aged a few years in that small moment. “It’s something like that, yeah. I’m sorry. I really want to tell you all, but Naegi and I are still trying to wrap our heads around it. It’s hard to explain something you don’t really understand yourself.”

“Is this why you haven’t been sleeping well?” Peko asked, voice low.

“How did you –”

“It’s written all over your face,” Fuyuhiko said, crooked smile visible. “You look like absolute shit. You look like you’re in your forties, not your early twenties.”

Hajime sighed, posture deflating. “Yeah, yeah you’re right. I haven’t been sleeping too well because of all this. Maybe Tsumiki can prescribe me some sleeping pills or something. Or I could just go down to the pharmacy and find something to do the job just as well.”

“I’m sure Tsumiki-san will be more than happy to help you, you know,” Mahiru said. “I’m surprised you didn’t ask her before.”

“I thought I could deal with it on my own,” Hajime said with a shrug. He stood up, stretching his arms over his head. “I’ll go sort that out now.”

The remaining three watched him disappear upstairs, their eyes full of worry. Mahiru knew that he had practically been the glue that held them all together in the last couple of trials, so it was hard to see him so defeated. Even so, it just made her all the more curious about what happened in Towa. She would have to try asking Kazuichi later. Maybe he knew something.

“Oh, I suppose we better tell Naegi and Asahina,” Fuyuhiko said. “Where are they, anyway?”

“Checking on Komaeda, I think,” Mahiru said. “They make sure he’s doing okay every night between dinner and bedtime, or at least that’s what I’ve heard.”

Peko nodded. “Fair enough. I hope they don’t have too much on their plate. I also hope they don’t object to all this.”

“Why would they?” Mahiru asked, surprised. “It’s not like you two getting married will interfere with their work. They could all do with some good news.”

“I don’t know if they’ll let us have an engagement party, though,” Fuyuhiko said. His cheeks lifted as he frowned, making it look like his freckles had moved. He turned towards the kitchen door. “Especially since _someone_ is adamant about having alcohol.”

Teruteru only laughed.

* * *

 

As it turned out, the Future Foundation members were more than willing to accommodate for both an engagement party and a wedding. Since Fuyuhiko and Peko were so low maintenance and the only people coming would really be the island residents and the six Future Foundation members, it wouldn’t be too much of a hassle. Although Naegi couldn’t promise anything, he said he would try to import a makango, and Asahina was more than willing to get someone to perform the ceremony.

The engagement party was set for the following week, everyone wanting to celebrate as soon as possible. Naegi and the happy couple announced it themselves, and it didn’t seem like it was going to be a boring night either. Teruteru was already planning the meals and Ibuki was already writing songs. It looked like it was going to be a wonderful night.

That was how, no matter how trivial it seemed, Mahiru ended up in one of the worst predicaments since waking up.

What was she going to wear?

It seemed a bit ridiculous, what with the apocalypse spread out over the entire planet, but that only seemed like a distant memory to her. Just because there was peace that still needed to be made didn’t mean that she couldn’t look her best. Enoshima had been a fashionista, after all. Surely she wouldn’t have destroyed every decent looking outfit in the world, right?

Then again, this _was_ the girl who had murdered her own sister simply because she could.

The clothes Mahiru had received during her time on the island were definitely nice and in her taste, but they weren’t formal enough. They were everyday wear, and she just couldn’t wear something like that to such an important event. Besides, this was just the engagement party. What in the world was she going to wear to the wedding itself?

Sonia must have heard her muttered complaints from outside her room, for she poked her head around the door with a look of concern. “Koizumi-san? Are you alright?”

“Yes, yes, I’m fine,” Mahiru said, though she couldn’t keep all the irritation out of her voice. “I just don’t have anything to wear to the engagement party. That’s a formal party and I don’t have a single formal outfit.”

“Hmm, neither do I, now that I think about it,” Sonia said, letting herself into the room. “Perhaps there is something at the supermarket?”

Mahiru mulled it over then shook her head. “That supermarket only had all that stuff because it wasn’t actually real. I don’t think even the simulation supermarket had fancy clothes.”

“That’s a shame…” Sonia sat on the bed, eyes down. She had a bit of looking at her feet when she was thinking. “I do not think it really matters, though. I mean, Kuzuryuu-san and Pekoyama-san aren’t fancy people. They would be happy simply by us being there, do you not agree?”

“Yeah, that’s true,” Mahiru said, shutting the door to her wardrobe, if it could even be called that. It was only a bunch of shelves with folded clothes stacked upon them. “It’s just that I want to dress up for them. For this. It’s an engagement party, for goodness sake. It’s supposed to be fancy.” She stopped. “Wait, where did all our regular clothes come from in the first place?”

“Huh? Oh, they were brought here by Asahina-san…” Sonia seemed to be catching on. “Oh! Perhaps Asahina-san will be able to find something for us in Towa City? I should call her and see if that’s possible. Should we ask the others if they need clothes for the occasion?”

Mahiru had almost forgotten that Asahina and Naegi had returned to Towa City that morning. Now that Nagito’s condition had improved, they had deemed him healthy enough for them to leave. They had promised to bring some stuff for the party when they were done with work, including alcohol since they were all above drinking age. Hopefully they could contact Asahina in time for her to find some dresses.

“Yeah, that sounds like the best plan,” she agreed.

Sonia stood up and clasped her hands together. “Wonderful! I will take care of it, Koizumi-san.”

With a flick of her blonde hair, the princess was out the door.

Now that her problem was (mostly) solved, Mahiru let herself relax. She sat on her bed and fell backwards, spreading her arms out beside her as she exhaled. Part of her still felt guilty for worrying about the celebration when there was still so much to be done in the world outside their small island, but the rest of her knew she was being ridiculous. There was nothing she could do. To most of the world, they were still traitors, still Super High School Level Despair. Kazuichi and Hajime had been exceptions, requested people under the supervision of Naegi and the others.

She still wondered what it was like in Towa City. What it was _really_ like. Not the vague version Kazuichi had painted for her the night he had returned. Now that she thought about it, he hadn’t told her much at all. She had been asking about him at the time, not the city itself. Perhaps she would have to have a conversation with Asahina, or someone else who would tell her what it was like. Hajime seemed to be keeping everything under wraps for now.

Oh, how she hated secrets.

She turned her head to the window. It was once again overcast, dark clouds forming above the trees. The weather seemed to have a set pattern on Jabberwock. It would rain for a few days, be clear and sunny for a fortnight, and then rain would fall once again. At least it was predictable, one less variable to worry about on the island.

“You’re not thinking about going to take a picture again, are you?”

She almost fell off her bed in surprise as she looked towards the door. Kazuichi was leaning against the doorframe, arms folded. If this was anyone’s first time seeing him, they may have thought he was a laid back punk-ish kind of guy, but she knew better. He was a scaredy-cat under that jumpsuit and she knew it.

“Of course not,” she replied, straightening up and smoothing down her hair. “I can still think about the weather without going outside, you know.”

“I know.” He sat down next to her on the bed, right where Sonia had been sitting mere minutes ago. “By the way, do you know why Sonia-san’s going around asking for measurements and what our clothing styles are?”

Mahiru almost laughed. It seemed dresses were not the only material issue. “The two of us were talking about fancy formal wear for the engagement party and she’s asking everyone if they want some. She’s going to ask Asahina-san later.”

Kazuichi’s eyes widened. “We have to wear formal outfits?”

She rolled her eyes. “ _Boys_. Yes, you do. It’s an engagement party. Those are very classy social gatherings, if you weren’t aware.”

“Classy?” Kazuichi snorted. “We’re not exactly a classy bunch of people, ya know. Sure, you are, and so is Sonia-san, and Tanaka is in his own weird way, but the rest of us? Not so much. I mean, have you seen the way Owari eats?”

Mahiru’s features twisted into a grimace. “We’ve _all_ seen how Owari-san eats. I still don’t see why we shouldn’t _try_ at least.”

“Suit yourself,” Kazuichi said with a shrug. “I will say ‘I told you so’, though.”

“I’m sure you will,” Mahiru said with a roll of her eyes. The two fell into a comfortable silence quickly and she found her chance to ask. “By the way, Souda, what was it like in Towa City? I mean… What was it _really_ like?”

Kazuichi’s face darkened at the question. “It wasn’t… You don’t want to know.”

Mahiru almost growled. She was _not_ going to be kept in the dark any longer. “Souda, please. I really do want to know. I’m sick of living in ignorance on this island.”

“Ignorance is bliss, Mahiru.”

“Just _tell me, dammit_.”

Mahiru’s glaring must have gotten to him, for he sighed and said, “Fine, fine. It was… How do I put this…? It was horrible. Apparently it’s better than it was, and the air is breathable compared to so many other places in the world, but there are still corpses everywhere. At least that was what I was told. I didn’t see much of it, really. I was near the airport most of the time, and the place there is pretty clean. Hinata saw more of it than I did. I’m not much help for information.”

The description was still pretty basic, but it was more than what she knew. One thing stuck in her mind, however. “Did you say corpses?”

Kazuichi let out another sigh. “I was hoping you’d ignore that. Yeah, that’s what I said. I didn’t see any of them myself, like I said, but it didn’t make the place any less creepy. At least here the sky isn’t dark and the island is kind of like a home for us. We live well here. Or as much as we can as a bunch of ex-psychopaths.”

“ _Souda_ ,” Mahiru hissed. She had been trying to forget about all they had done, and he really wasn’t helping matters. “There’s no need to be so insensitive. We’re not the most innocent people ever, but we’re not those people anymore.”

He still didn’t look convinced. She could tell by the way he wasn’t looking at her, staring at his hands instead. She followed his gaze, eyes following each of his fingers as they moved slightly, twitching as he fidgeted. Eventually, he said, “I guess. I just think we’re lucky. We’re the only Hope’s Peak members of Super High School Level Despair still alive. I don’t see how we deserve to be saved when all we did was destroy. I’m supposed to make things, and even if I do pull something apart it’s only to build it to be better and stronger.”

Mahiru didn’t know what to say. Kazuichi was hardly ever so deep and meaningful, being as vague as possible. During the simulation he had hidden behind a few small personality traits, making everyone believe he was nothing more than that goofy guy in the jumpsuit. Even after the events of the mutual killing he had matured. Everyone could see that. Yet somehow he still managed to avoid speaking about his past to others.

She realized he had opened up to her probably more than he had to anyone, aside from perhaps Hajime.

“Souda…” She winced at how her voice broke halfway through his name. “We all did terrible things. I still don’t know exactly what I did, and honestly the less involved I was the better. I… I haven’t really owned up to my mistakes, whatever they were. I’ve been hiding out on this island thinking I could just live here with the rest of you without another care in the world. I don’t even want to completely accept the role I had in Kuzuryuu’s sister’s m–”

“No.”

The force of that one word made her stop instantly, her eyes growing wide as she blinked up at him. When she didn’t object, he continued. “No, Mahiru. I know that you feel responsible for that, but… You didn’t do anything wrong. What were you supposed to do? One of your best friends killed some other chick, you found the evidence and didn’t know what to do with it. How do you react to that, especially when that same friend is killed what? One day afterwards?”

She could feel his sharp gaze burning holes in her head, but she refused to look up, opting to stare at his now still hands. When she finally found the words to say, her voice was quiet. It hardly sounded like her at all. “I understand, but… I was the catalyst that started that whole chain of events. Sato killed because I was being bullied by Kuzuryuu’s sister.” She swallowed, her throat becoming dry. “If I hadn’t been there, none of it would have happened.”

She wouldn’t cry, she wouldn’t cry, _she wouldn’t cry_.

“I guess we can’t change what happened in the past…” Kazuichi said, the volume of his voice matching hers. They were far too close for them to speak in loud voices anyway. “I just want the guilt to go away.”

Mahiru shook her head. “I don’t think it ever will.”

More silence filled the room. If she had listened closely, she would have been able to hear the muffled voices of Hajime and Nagito in the hallway, or perhaps the soft croons of Gundam to his hamsters in the room across from hers, but she was far too wrapped up in her own thoughts. She was also far too aware that she had company, and not listening out for anything he said would be rude. It wasn’t as if she was waiting for him to break the silence. Not at all.

Her (unasked) prayers were answered when he shifted the tone of the conversation. “I guess we’ll have to look at the good things. There’s got to be some good stuff going on around here.”

“Like the engagement,” Mahiru offered, gesturing for him to list something else.

He did. “Most of us have woken up in better shape than expected.”

“Naegi and the others are looking after us with no hostility towards us.”

“We’re living on an island of all places.”

“There’s always someone to talk to.”

“We have the _best fucking chef_ in the entire world.”

“I’m going to implement a swear jar soon.”

Kazuichi groaned, effectively breaking the chain. “No, come on, don’t do that. It’s not like any of us have any money anyway.”

“I’ll make you pay via chores then,” Mahiru said, crossing one leg over the other. “Yes, I quite like the sound of that.”

“Mahiru, _please_.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There was going to be another part to this chapter, but I felt it would be better in the next one. Also, Souda and Mahiru seem to just sit around in her room and talk. It's like their thing.
> 
> It came to my attention that I was a bit inconsistent with my names for the Future Foundation, so now they're always going to be referred to by their last names. Togami was always going to be as such to distinguish him and Twogami, but now I find it easier to do it this way.
> 
> And yes, I am aware that Souda is now calling Mahiru by her first name. This is purely intentional.
> 
> Next time: engagement party shenanigans. And possibly a swear jar.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kirigiri knows what's up.

Mahiru really didn’t know how Asahina had found such nice dresses. She knew the Future Foundation had connections and the like, but she was sure they wouldn’t be used to find outfits of all things. Maybe clothing was cheap now that the end of the world had come and gone. She was honestly too afraid to ask.

Besides, she had more pressing worries to concern herself with. Namely, how self-conscious she felt.

The girls were all in Sonia’s room preparing for the engagement party that was to start in half an hour. The princess had insisted that they all group together and help each other get ready, saying she had always wanted to have a makeover with friends. Mahiru had backed up the idea wholeheartedly, of course, since she loved said events. Anything to have them all bond more so than they already had.

She tried to force the picture of the one missing girl from her mind. Hiyoko may not be there for the engagement party, but she would definitely be there for the wedding. She would make sure of it.

She had holed herself up in Sonia’s bathroom, one of the only places with a decent mirror. The others were hand-held ones and were currently being used by the blonde herself, who had taken it upon herself to do everyone’s makeup. She couldn’t help but feel slightly out of her element as she stared at her outfit, a simple aquamarine dress with white lace. The material was like something out of a fairytale, yet it was modest enough that she didn’t feel too exposed.

Still, part of her felt like it was a bit too much. As much as she had pushed for the formal wear, she had been nervous about how she would ultimately look. Like many girls her age, she wanted to look good for parties, but only for herself. She wasn’t the kind of person to dress up for someone else’s sake. That would be childish.

Deeming herself well prepared, she returned to Sonia’s room where all hell was breaking loose. Sonia was trying to make Ibuki sit still as she did her makeup, Mikan trying to avoid them and having a hard time staying balanced despite not even wearing heels. Akane was making sure she could still move around properly with her long dress, though Mahiru was sure she would simply rip it if she had to. Peko was watching the chaos from Sonia’s bed, having already finished preparing herself a little while ago.

Mahiru approached Peko, whose eyes were sparkling. She may have been calm, but anyone could tell she was excited for the evening’s events. “All done. Now we wait.”

“You look wonderful,” Peko said, inclining her head.

“So do you,” Mahiru said, gesturing to Peko’s dark gown. “Asahina-san chose wisely.”

Peko smiled softly before turning back to look at the scene before her. It wasn’t long before everyone calmed down and returned to the task at hand, though they were still going to be a little bit late to the Titty Typhoon. They were lucky that it was so close to the hospital.

They had five minutes by the time they had all finished, and Mahiru was desperate to get them out of the room. She was always punctual, never wanting to be late. ‘Fashionably late’ wasn’t even an option for her.

“Come on, come on, let’s go!” she said as she practically pushed Akane and Ibuki out of the room. Once she was sure they were ready, she took her place at the front with Peko, who also seemed eager to leave. She was just too polite to say it.

“I wonder what Teruteru’s made for tonight,” Akane said, and even without turning around Mahiru knew she was drooling.

Whatever Teruteru had cooked, it must have been delicious, as they could all smell it from outside the Titty Typhoon. There were many different aromas infiltrating Mahiru’s senses all at once, but it wasn’t an unpleasant experience. It was as if all the food had banded together to create the ultimate smell. It made her mouth water.

The boys were already inside when they arrived. Music was playing from the stereo and the lights were already dimmed. The food was lined against the back wall and there were balloons covering the entire room. Perhaps Nagito had decorated again.

“There you guys are!” Fuyuhiko said with a grin on his face. Although he was addressing all of them, his eyes never left Peko. “Right on time.”

“Of course,” Mahiru said, wincing as Akane pushed past her to get to the food. “I wasn’t going to let anyone here be late.”

The girls all entered the hall properly, letting the door shut behind them with a soft thump. It was warmer inside now that they had closed the door. It was actually quite breezy, Mahiru realized.

“The Future Foundation members are gonna be a little late,” Fuyuhiko was saying. “Something about Genocider Syo trying to cut Hagakure’s hair again. I dunno. I didn’t _want_ to know.” He turned to Peko once more. “Now, shall we dance?”

Peko didn’t respond, but she smiled brightly as Fuyuhiko’s hand enclosed around hers. The two moved to the dancefloor, not even caring that it was a fast-paced song or that hardly anyone else was moving about. They were in their own little world, just as they had been since they announced the engagement. Mahiru guessed that was what others called ‘the Honeymoon period’.

Figuring she should eat before Akane consumed all of the food, she made her way to the table. Teruteru was standing there with a bright smile on his face, explaining some of the Japanese dishes to Sonia, whose hand was clutched tightly in Gundam’s. They didn’t look at her as she approached the table, which she was thankful for. She didn’t really like others seeing her eat anywhere other than the dining hall, which had a far more comfortable atmosphere. Here everything was a bit different.

Akane didn’t seem to care, though no one had really expected her to. She happily munched away on some burgers without a care in the world, hardly responding when Nekomaru came up beside her. Mahiru couldn’t help but wonder how he processed his food, considering his torso was no robotic. That was just one more thing she would have to ask Kazuichi.

It was half an hour later that the Future Foundation members arrived. Everyone could hear the helicopter land in front of the venue, even though Hajime had told them to use the airport.

“What’s the point of having an airport if no one uses it?” he asked nobody in particular as he went to open the door for them.

The first person to walk in was the person Mahiru assumed to be Hagakure, based on the way he conducted himself and how his hair seemed to defy gravity. She understood why the serial killer would want to cut his hair, even if she still wasn’t entirely sure what a murderer had to do with any of them.

“I have the booze!” he shouted, holding up a cooler. “Took me forever to sneak it out of mum’s place, but I’ve got it!”

“What do you mean ‘sneak it out’?” Asahina asked, storming in. Her skin seemed to glow underneath the lights, pink cherry blossom-like dress shimmering. “You said your mother let you take it for tonight! I’m going to call Komaru-chan and have her tell Hiroko-san about this.”

Hagakure laughed, already on his way to the food table. “Calm down, I was joking. Of course mum let me take it. We’re all over age, after all.”

Mahiru let her eyes wander from the bickering two to the door. Naegi walked in with Kirigiri on his arm. Even though she was taller than him, he still seemed like the perfect gentleman. The two of them made their way towards Fuyuhiko and Peko as soon as they were inside, though Naegi almost tripped on Kirigiri’s dress on the way there.

She then focused on the last two stragglers. Togami was looking as arrogant as usual, nothing about his outfit changing how he looked, considering he wore a suit on a regular basis. Behind him was Fukawa, she presumed. Fukawa looked nervous, her eyes darting from side to side as she hid from everyone, using Togami as a shield.

Feeling a sense of pity for the poor girl, Mahiru decided to go and introduce herself. She had finished eating long ago, only having enough to tide her over, so there was no need for her to stay at the table. She smiled as the two moved closer to the centre of the room, yet they stayed on the sidelines as other people danced.

“Evening, Togami-san,” she greeted with a nod. “Was it a tight fit in the helicopter?”

Togami returned the nod, but didn’t smile. He was just like the Byakuya _she_ knew. “Evening, Koizumi. It was fine, or at least it would have been had someone not tried to worm her way into my lap.”

His eyes flashed dangerously as he turned towards Fukawa, who shrank back at his glare. Mahiru felt herself getting defensive. How dare he treat her like that? Perhaps what she had been doing hadn’t been appropriate, but there was no need to broadcast it to the entire party. “Togami-san! Have some manners. There was no need to speak so harshly.”

To her surprise, it was Fukawa who jumped to his defence. “Don’t speak to my White Knight l-like that you – you – you _filth_!”

“I beg your pardon?” Mahiru asked, voice rising an octave. “I was only trying to help you.”

Fukawa opened her mouth to respond but stopped when Togami placed a hand on her shoulder. “Enough, Fukawa. I need to get some liquor in my system.”

Without another word to either of them, he left for the buffet table. Evidently not wanting to be left behind, Fukawa let out a squeal and raced after him, her hair flying behind her as she called for her ‘White Knight’. Mahiru really didn’t understand the nickname. That man was anything but a knight in shining armour.

“Good luck trying to get through to the two of them.”

Mahiru felt the goosebumps rise on her skin as she spun around. She hadn’t noticed Kazuichi sneak up behind her and she cursed herself for not realizing. He had probably seen that complete and utter failure of a conversation, and he was one of the last people she wanted to see her crash and burn.

“What do you mean?” she asked once she recomposed herself.

Kazuichi swirled the liquid in his glass. Thankfully, it didn’t look like alcohol, but she could be wrong. “Well, you know what Togami’s like, and Fukawa… She’s kinda weird. She has the hots for him and pretty much goes along with everything he says. It’s creepy, honestly.”

Mahiru frowned. Those were the types of relationships she couldn’t stand, where the partners weren’t fifty-fifty and everything was unbalanced. Hell, they weren’t even together and they were having problems. No wonder they were both disturbed.

“Still, I was only going to introduce myself to Fukawa-san. She didn’t have to act all high and mighty because Togami was there,” she said. Whether she pitied the girl or not, she wouldn’t let her get away with humiliating her.

Kazuichi had the gall to laugh as he slipped an arm around her shoulders. “Mahiru, relax. It’s a party and you look fantastic. Besides, you brought your camera for a reason, didn’t you?”

He pointed to the camera that was hung around her neck. She had almost forgotten it was there, but she knew that if she took it off she would feel its absence. “Yeah, you’re right. I guess it’s time to take some pictures.”

It wasn’t hard to find inspiration for her pictures. Everyone was happy and smiling, just the way she liked it. There was at least one photograph of everyone within the next half an hour, even Togami and Fukawa who had somehow ended up awkwardly moving around on the dancefloor. She suspected it had something to do with the drink in Togami’s hand.

She couldn’t help but smile as she went through the pictures. Kazuichi hadn’t left her side since she started taking them, putting up with her moving from group to group without a care in the world, and now he was watching her flick through each photo in the memory bank. Unlike her, however, he wasn’t smiling.

“What’s wrong?” she asked him when she looked up.

“There’s something missing,” he said. “Can I see?”

Bewildered, she handed him the camera. He smiled as soon as the small device was in his hands, instantly turning so he was right in front of her, camera obstructing his face. “Say cheese!”

“What? No!” Mahiru covered her face with her hands and looked away. She could feel a blush coming on. “I’m the photographer. I’m not meant to be _in_ the photos.”

Kazuichi moved so he was facing her again. “Come on! You look beautiful. Just one.”

At the compliment, she _did_ look up. Her face had to be as red as her hair by this point, she could feel it, but she didn’t cover her skin this time. She was too focused on him, too confused to say or do anything, but the flash of the camera pulled her out of her trance. She blinked and rubbed her eyes before reaching out for the camera.

“Delete it!” she screeched, and she was sure the others around them were beginning to stare, though that may have been her feeling self-conscious again.

Kazuichi only laughed, not even bothered by her volume. He held the camera high above his head so she wouldn’t be able to reach it, but she continued to jump for it anyway. She was determined to retrieve her camera and delete that picture. No height difference was going to stand in her way. That was her thought process as she began to step on his toes, suddenly aware that he wasn’t wearing his jumpsuit as per usual. There were no pockets to cling onto this way.

Sensing her frustration, he laughed harder. “That’s not going to work, Mahiru. You know that, right?!”

Sick of the taunting, Mahiru grabbed his shoulder and stood on her tip-toes so she could at least somewhat look him in the eye as she threatened him. “So help me, Souda, if you don’t give me that camera my knee will run straight into the little area below that belt of yours. I may not have perfect aim, and in the chance that I can’t get it right, I’m sure Owari-san will be more than happy to do the honours.”

Kazuichi’s eyes widened before he let his hand fall. Even he still had some dignity to maintain, and he wasn’t going to risk that. He placed the camera back around her neck before saying, “Uh, yeah, let’s not go there, okay? I’ve got my pride.”

“Nice to know you see it my way,” she said, already lifting the camera so she could view the screen. “I don’t take photos of myself for a reason. I prefer to be on the other end of the lens.”

Kazuichi stretched his arms behind his head. “Shame, that. You’re really photogenic. Seriously.”

Mahiru, whose blush had gone away due to her anger, began to feel the familiar heat on her face. “Um, sure. I’m going to go get a drink. You want one?”

“Nah, I’m good.” He turned around and instantly spotted Hajime. “Oh, Hinata!”

She watched him walk away, letting her eyes linger on his back as he went to speak to Hajime. Her feet were planted on the ground until she was sure he was gone. As soon as she was able to move again, she made a beeline for the table, aggressively getting a glass and pouring some nice, old-fashioned liquor into it.

For the love of everything, she just needed a drink.

“Don’t drink too much,” said a voice next to her.

Looking up, Mahiru saw the elegant form of Kirigiri Kyouko. Now that she was looking close up, she saw that the lavender haired girl didn’t have a single hair out of place, not a single blemish on her skin. She wondered how she managed it.

“I don’t plan to,” she replied, taking a sip. It was strong, but she found herself not caring too much.

Kirigiri’s eyes moved between her and Kazuichi, who was relaying some story to Hajime using big hand gestures. “Souda-san has seemed a lot brighter these last few weeks. At least, from what I’ve seen of him. Not including when he was in Towa, of course.”

Mahiru looked at her, surprised. She was so used to him being optimistic and emotional that she couldn’t imagine him lacking the spark that made him who he was. Sure, she had seen him with his guard down quite a few times since she woke up, but he never seemed like he _wasn’t_ Kazuichi. He was still trying to look on the bright side and working hard to impress.

“Is that so?” was all she could say.

Kirigiri smiled, bringing her own cup to her lips. Unlike Mahiru’s, it was filled with water. “Yes. He’s made quite the change in the past few weeks.”

Mahiru wasn’t stupid. She understood what Kirigiri was getting at, but she couldn’t for the life of her see how that could be true. She was a simple photographer. Nothing she could say would be able to change Kazuichi’s demeanour so drastically. Then again, she hadn’t seen what he was like before she woke up.

“I… It probably has nothing to do with me,” she eventually said, surprised at how disappointed she sounded.

Kirigiri wasn’t perturbed, or at least if she was her expression didn’t show it. “I wouldn’t be so sure about that, Koizumi-san. The entire time he was in Towa he was in a terrible mood. When Asahina-san and I eventually got through to him, he told us he was worried about the fight he’d had with you.”

“Well, yeah…” Mahiru was losing this argument and she knew it. “But I was worried too.”

Kirigiri’s eyes seemed to sparkle. “Were you?”

Mahiru quickly realized her mistake. “I mean, of course! When you argue with a friend or even a colleague wouldn’t you be worried about the situation?”

“For me it depends.”

“It depends?”

“On whether the colleague is Togami or not.”

Mahiru rolled her eyes, a small smile on her face as she looked across the room. Togami was no longer dancing, but Fukawa was still at his side, watching him chug another glass of alcohol down. There were already four other glasses to his right. That wasn’t going to end well.

Shaking her head, she thought up a quick response to Kirigiri. “Still, though… Well…” Or, she at least thought of a few words to filibuster with. “Wait, what’s your talent again?”

Kirigiri either smirked or it was Mahiru’s imagination. “Super High School Level Detective. And by the way, have you noticed? Souda-san has been calling you by your first name the entire evening.”

As the realization hit Mahiru, there was a loud squeal from the other side of the room. Thoughts still running through her head, she turned to the source of the commotion and almost jumped back against the table. Everything she had been thinking about was forced to the back of her mind.

Fukawa was… Was that even Fukawa? Whoever it was looked like Fukawa, but her eyes were a bright red, matching her tongue which was long and poking out between her teeth. Their body language was nothing like Fukawa’s despite looking like her, opting for a more laid back stance than the sheltered one the novelist had taken for most of the night.

“Whoa, what a party! Where’s the drinks? Any cute boys wanna,” she whipped out two pairs of scissors from under her skirt, “take me home?”

While Mahiru was speechless, Sonia apparently wasn’t. She ran over to not-Fukawa and bowed. “Genocider-san! How wonderful for you to grace us with your presence. I assume Fukawa-san did not tell you, correct? This is an engagement party for Kuzuryuu-san and Pekoyama-san as they are to be married soon!”

Most of the guests watched as Genocider bounced over to the newly engaged couple, but Mahiru was too stunned to follow their gazes. This was Genocider? As in Genocider Syo?

She could feel a headache coming on.

Gripping her cup tightly, she croaked, “What… What is this?”

Kirigiri turned to look at her again. “Has no one told you? Genocider Syo is Fukawa’s split personality. We don’t know how it manifested, not really, since Fukawa-san won’t go into much detail. Whenever Fukawa sneezes or faints, she wakes up as Genocider Syo. If Genocider Syo sneezes or faints, she turns back into Fukawa.”

Yep, definitely a headache.

As the party began to return to normal, Genocider leaped upon the chandelier and danced to the music, swinging dangerously from side to side. Togami was the first to see her and tried to stand up, but he was far too gone to move properly. His legs gave way almost immediately and he toppled over the table, effectively flipping it and breaking the five glasses on top.

“I should go fix this,” Kirigiri said with a sigh, placing her own drink on the table. “Remember what I said.”

Mahiru didn’t think she would be able to forget.

* * *

 

The party ended at midnight, which Fuyuhiko said was rather tame for Yakuza parties. Considering that not everyone was used to such late times, however, Peko had insisted that they wrap everything up early. Mikan would worry about their sleep deprivation if they stayed awake and Akane and Nekomaru’s training schedule would be put out of line, not to mention that Nagito was still sick and in need of his rest.

Mahiru was happy it was over, even if she had enjoyed herself for the most part. The liquor was all gone, and she was slightly tipsy. At least she could still see straight and her legs were stable. Kind of. The same couldn’t be said for Togami, who was practically out cold as an also drunk Hagakure dragged him to the helicopter. Asahina was a little out of it, but she could walk, and Fukawa had passed out after returning to her usual self. Genocider may have been good with alcohol, but that didn’t mean she was.

Fuyuhiko had partied hard, but he had crashed as soon as the event was over, Peko giving him a piggyback ride back to the hospital. Mikan had tried to carry an even louder than usual Ibuki but required help from Nekomaru, who already had Akane slung over his shoulder. Nagito had been prohibited from drinking alcohol due to his condition and so had been set with the task of returning Hajime and Teruteru back to their rooms. Gundam struggled to pull along Sonia, who was giggling excessively.

Figuring the night had turned out to be a success, Mahiru started to follow her classmates only to feel her knees buckle after five steps. She would have fallen had strong arms not hoisted her up.

“Watch where you’re goin’ there,” Kazuichi said, voice soft. “You didn’t peg me as a drinker, Mahiru.”

There it was. He was calling her by her first name. After her conversation with Kirigiri, she had avoided him for the rest of the party, needing a strong drink (or two, perhaps four) to wrap her head around it all. She hadn’t been successful.

“Well, I’m not!” Mahiru said, louder than intended. “I needed some of the alc-alco-alcoves. I needed some alcoves because of Kirimiri-san. I’m completely sober, though!”

“ _Ooookay_ ,” Kazuichi said, not convinced in the slightest. “Let’s get you back to the hospital, ‘kay?”

Mahiru nodded and let Kazuichi hoist her up so he had her in his arms. If she had been in a normal state of mind, she would have kicked him until he let her down, but she wasn’t. Instead, she enjoyed the trip from the concert hall to the hospital, humming to herself as she fell asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the kinda later than usual chapter. I haven't been feeling well the past couple of days and I still don't, really. I hope you enjoyed the chapter regardless!


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Actual tsundere Koizumi Mahiru.

The following morning was a bit disorganized, to say the least. No one had a proper breakfast since Teruteru was out until noon. By the time Mahiru arrived in the dining room it was going on to eleven. No one was there except Hajime, his face down on the table and his tie askew.

“Good morning,” Mahiru said, cringing at how tired she sounded. She was alright for the most part. Her alcohol didn’t come back up like it did for most people, which she was thankful for, but she still had a slight headache and even a little lightheaded.

Hajime only groaned in response as she walked by him to get to the kitchen. She rolled her eyes and grabbed herself some a simple piece of bread with some butter before returning. That would tide her over. She wasn’t too hungry after last night, anyway.

She sat across from Hajime, watching him for a few seconds before speaking. “Did you actually get some sleep last night?”

Hajime looked up this time. His eyes were bloodshot and there were bags underneath his eyes. “Apparently I didn’t get to sleep until one, according to Komaeda. Then at six this morning he comes into my room to wake me up. After that I couldn’t get back to sleep. If he wasn’t so sick I’d strangle him, honestly.” He sighed. “At least it’s something I guess. I’m contemplating drinking myself to sleep every night at this rate.”

“No!” Hajime winced at her loud voice, but she continued. “You’re not doing that. I wouldn’t let you, Komaeda would notice right away, and hell, Tsumiki-san would probably have a heart attack! We need to get this whole Towa City thing off your chest. Did you speak to Naegi about it?”

Hajime nodded, wiping his eyes. “Yeah. He could tell how much it was affecting me so he said I could tell you all myself. He said that maybe it would be easier if you guys could put in what you think.”

“Finally,” Mahiru said. She took another bite, making sure to swallow before talking. “We’ve all been worried about it since you got back. No, since you left.”

“I know. Sorry,” Hajime said, a sheepish look on his face. “I’ll tell everyone tonight at dinner. It’ll be easier once everyone’s gathered. I hope I’m in my right mind then.” He scowled. “Speaking of which, I was surprised you were drinking last night. You don’t seem like the type of person to drink, you know?”

Mahiru looked at her plate, feeling self-conscious. “It’s not like I set out to get drunk last night.”

She must have sounded angrier than she thought, for Hajime rose his hands in surrender. “Sorry, sorry, I know. I was just trying to make conversation. Souda came by and said that _you_ said Kirigiri made you or something? I dunno.”

The world must have been ending. That must have been why she felt doomed. “It wasn’t that Kirigiri made me. She’s not that kind of person. I was just a little stressed, she made me a little more stressed, and I needed to calm down.”

“Stress drinking, huh?” Was that a smirk playing on Hajime’s lips? “That’s no good, Koizumi-san.”

She glared at him as she chewed her last piece of toast. “Quiet, you. What’s your excuse?”

“Sleep deprivation. Also, Komaeda was talking to Naegi nonstop when I was trying to talk about more important things and that was kind of giving me a headache.” Hajime looked like his headache would flare up again just from thinking about it. He changed the subject again. “By the way, Souda’s worried about you. He should be around the first island somewhere.”

“Thanks, Hinata,” Mahiru said, standing up so she could put her plate in the sink. Dish duty would be the task of whoever woke up last. At this point, it looked like it would be Teruteru.

She waved to Hajime as she left, trying to act normal, but when she was out of sight she slowed down considerably. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to confront Kazuichi on the whole first name basis thing. She had just anticipated it being later on when she was more prepared. She knew she couldn’t hide away forever, of course. That wasn’t her style, even if confrontations hadn’t ended in the best way for her before. First Sato, then Fuyuhiko. At least Kazuichi wouldn’t kill her. Probably.

Taking her time around the first island meant a lot of inspecting. She had been everywhere during the simulation, but now that it was real life everything was a bit different. The ranch still had animals, though there were more of them. They were all well cared for and she was positive that was Gundam’s doing. The supermarket didn’t have as many items, but everything was in date. The airport was exactly the same as it had been. Even so, the smallest differences were interesting to her.

She stopped short by the beach. She hadn’t been there since her talk with Peko and Fuyuhiko, but it didn’t look any different. The thing, or person rather, who made her stop hadn’t seen her yet. He was diligently working on Peko’s fighting dummy, singing a song to himself slightly out of tune. She didn’t want to disturb him from his work, she really didn’t, but she knew that was just another excuse not to talk to him.

She must have hesitated too long, for she was snapped out of her thoughts by, “Mahiru!”

There it was again: the first name. It didn’t make her hate him as much as she thought it would, but she kept telling herself it wasn’t the issue.

Kazuichi waved her over and she complied, remaining stern with her arms folded and lips pursed. “Are you working on Pekoyama-san’s dummy?”

“Yep. Bosco’s getting some new improvements.”

Mahiru would have laughed had her mind not been elsewhere. “You named it? And Bosco of all things?”

Kazuichi shrugged. “I see nothing wrong with it. Pekoyama let me name it so I did! So, what brings you down here, Mahiru?”

On the way, she had thought of many ways to ease into the conversation. Perhaps she would hint that she liked respect, or maybe it would be easier to just correct him every time he said her name. In the end, neither of these were what she did. Instead, she just blurted out, “Why do you call me by my first name?”

Kazuichi looked up, surprised. His hand was paused, grip on the screwdriver loosening. “Oh. You noticed that, did you?”

Mahiru rolled her eyes. “Yes, I noticed. Did you expect me not to?” She decided not to mention that Kirigiri had pointed it out to her. He didn’t need to know that.

“Well, technically, _you_ started it.”

Her forehead crinkled in confusion. “What are you talking about?”

Kazuichi wouldn’t meet her eyes as he focused on Bosco. “Remember the night you came out of your coma or whatever it was? You were trying to get me to go to bed so you threatened me using my first name.”

She vaguely remembered that, yes. “So? I was trying to get you to do something. It worked, didn’t it?”

“Maybe, but you didn’t complain when I did it to you on the fourth island,” Kazuichi said, and even without seeing his face she knew he was starting to feel smug.

“I thought it was just retaliation. A joke, even! I didn’t think anything of it.”

“Why did you start to, then?”

“Because you were calling me by my first name all the time!”

“What exactly is the problem with me calling you by your first name? You didn’t seem to mind the first few times.”

Mahiru stopped, resisting the urge to stomp her feet into the ground. “I… Well, how would you like it if I suddenly started calling you Kazuichi?”

“I wouldn’t mind that, actually,” was his unexpected response. He still wouldn’t meet her eyes, but she could tell just from the soft tone that he wasn’t frowning anymore.

At first she didn’t know how to respond. She simply stood there, opening and closing her mouth like a fish. When she finally found her voice, she said, “Fine! Kazuichi it is then.”

She could of sworn she heard him chuckle as she stormed away.

* * *

 

As soon as dinner was served, Hajime began to speak.

“So, um, about Towa City…” he started, trailing off as he watched everyone look up at him one by one.

“You’re finally gonna tell us?” Fuyuhiko asked. “About time!” He probably would have said more, but Peko laid a hand on his arm to silence him.

Hajime laughed, though it was a little forced. “Uh, yeah. I was talking to Naegi last night. Well, once I had the chance to.” He glared at Nagito, who continued eating as if nothing was happening. “He said that it would be a good idea to tell all of you and get your input. We definitely need it at the very least.”

“Why were you in Towa City? If trash like me can actually ask such a question,” Nagito said. Mahiru looked down. Despite him apologizing, she was still keeping away from him. Just in case.

“Oh, right, you were unconscious when we left.” Hajime scratched the back of his head. “Well, Souda got called down to fix some machines and I had to go down there because Monaka wanted to talk to me.”

If Nagito remembered the name, he didn’t show it. He simply nodded at Hajime to continue.

Hajime cleared his throat before starting again. “I didn’t go see her right away. I had to wait until she came out of hiding, and even then she would only see me on her terms. Naegi offered to come with me, but I told him not to. I didn’t think she would like that and I didn’t want to make her angry, just in case. I went to her hideout or whatever it was and met her there.

“She said that since her friends had abandoned her, as she put it, she wanted allies once more. She wants to have more people on her side, someone powerful, and she could only think of one person who that would be.”

Sonia almost choked on her food. “Could it be? Did she mean…”

“Yeah,” Hajime said, looking down. “She wanted – still wants – me to turn back into Kamakura Izuru.”

“What the fuck?!” Fuyuhiko said, standing up. “Don’t tell me you’re actually considering it!”

Hajime rubbed his temples as Peko dragged her fiancée back down. “No, of course not! I told her that was not an option from the very beginning. She was very confused but I didn’t answer her. At that point I wanted to get out of there as fast as I could. It’s the next part that has me worried.”

“The next part?” Teruteru asked, sounding as if he didn’t really want to know.

“She was very cryptic about it,” Hajime said, and Mahiru could tell he was struggling to explain. “She said that she would ‘be able to turn me back to ‘normal’ when I least expect it’. Normally I wouldn’t worry if the person who said that was a normal grade schooler, but she’s definitely not a normal grade schooler. She’s killed so many and she’s got too many devices to play around with. Honestly? She’s powerful. I wouldn’t underestimate her. She knows where we all are, too.”

Nekomaru looked as if he wanted to punch something. “She knows?! Why weren’t we told about this sooner?!”

Hajime closed his eyes, probably trying to block out Nekomaru’s forceful tone. “Naegi and I agreed not to at first. The Future Foundation is certain that she won’t try to leave Towa. She hardly has any power outside of it since all of her gadgets and everything is connected to the city. She’s very intelligent, though, so it’s possible that she might come, but only after a long time. If she does leave, the Future Foundation says they’ll warn us.”

“Why would they warn us?” Ibuki asked. Her legs were swinging beneath the table at a faster pace than usual. “Don’t they hate us and what to bury us in the ground or something?!”

It was Nagito who spoke this time. “I think they would rather have us alive like this rather than under Enoshima’s influence again. Of course, they’d probably prefer us to be gone for good, but that’s not an option at the moment. Anything would be better than having more people under Enoshima’s control. We have some powerful people here. It would be disastrous.”

Hajime hummed in agreement. “Exactly. We’re soft targets in Monaka’s eyes because we’ve gone down once before. She needs allies and she’s confident that she’ll get them. Even if she can’t do it through us, I have a feeling she’ll find others.”

“Was that all that transpired?” Gundam asked. He looked determined, probably putting on a brave face for the Devas who were cowering in fear.

“Pretty much,” Hajime said. “Except…”

“Except?” Kazuichi said, gesturing for him to continue.

Hajime licked his lips. “When I was at Monaka’s hideout or headquarters or whatever you want to call it she was dressed how Naegi’s sister and Fukawa remembered her, but there was another outfit there. It was a replica of Enoshima’s outfit, the one she wore during both mutual killing games. Plus there were kids in Monokuma masks running around everywhere, doing something. I couldn’t tell what, though.”

“Well, she idolized E-Enoshima-san, didn’t she?” Mikan asked. “If it was truly… If it was truly her outfit, then I can sort of understand why she’d, um, want to keep it.”

Mahiru felt a pang of sympathy for Mikan. Unlike the others, she had some basic memories of how she felt about Enoshima Junko, and none of them were very pretty. She had been through far too much in her life.

“Still… I have this bad feeling about it,” Hajime said. “I feel like she’s planning more than she’s letting on, and she’s been pretty vocal about what she wants so far, so I can’t imagine what she’s hiding.”

Silence surrounded the table. No one wanted to be the next to speak, to drag things further into the mud. Mahiru poked at her dinner, suddenly not as hungry as she had been, and she wondered if it was the previous night catching up with her, the information, or both.

Nagito was the first one to try and break through the awkward atmosphere. “We can win this, everyone! You are the shining beacons of hope. You can do any–”

Akane shoved some spaghetti in his mouth.

Sonia was the second and the most successful. “Oh, by the way, it is going to be Koizumi-san’s birthday soon, is it not?”

Mahiru blinked. How could she have forgotten her birthday? “Oh, right. Yeah, it’s coming up relatively soon. I don’t want to make a big deal out of it, though.”

“But you did it for Hiyoko-chan, right?” Ibuki said, tilting her head. “She’d probably make a big deal out of your birthday, wouldn’t she?”

Mahiru had to think about it for a second, but then shook her head. “She kind of would. She’d want to celebrate it with just the two of us, though. Since, well, you know what she’s like. Besides, Hiyoko’s birthday was enough of a celebration for me anyway.”

“It got interrupted, though,” Akane said, though with her mouth full it sounded more like, “Ee goh inupped, doe.”

“I’m serious!” Mahiru protested. She could feel her cheeks growing red from all the attention. “We have more important things to worry about now.” She nodded her head towards Hajime, who looked like he wanted to stay out of this discussion.

Sonia raised her hand to Mahiru’s shoulder. “Okay, Koizumi-san. If you don’t want us to do anything we won’t.” As she said that, there was a spark in her eye that contradicted everything she was saying, but she let it go.

“Okay, that’s enough for me. I’m going to bed,” she said, wanting to end the conversation once and for all. She was still fairly tired from last night’s events, not used to staying up so late.

After saying goodnight to everyone, she made her way upstairs. Although she had been planning to go to sleep, the clock told her it was only seven in the evening, and she didn’t want to wake up in the early hours of the morning, so she tried to think of something else to do. Screwing up her sleeping pattern was the last thing she wanted to do.

Figuring she could visit Hiyoko, something she hadn’t done all week, she chose to go upstairs. Hardly anyone was around up there other than Mikan, so she assumed she wouldn’t be bothered up there. In any case, she didn’t have anyone to rant about Kazuichi to, but she knew she could talk to Hiyoko about it. If she was awake, she probably would have told her to forget him and that they should go and buy some gummies.

Laughing to herself at the thought, she almost missed the noise coming from the transmission room. She heard it, but only faintly. It didn’t sound like Naegi’s voice. It was far too high-pitched for that. Perplexed, she ran inside.

The screen was on, but all it was showing was static. The voice was clearer now and she could finally make out what they were saying.

“Is… there?”

It was definitely a high pitched voice, but it didn’t sound like Asahina’s, and neither Fukawa nor Kirigiri’s voices were that high.

The voice spoke again. “Please! H–p!”

She knew she couldn’t ignore this. She inched closer to the screen and spoke as firmly as she could. “Hello? Who is this?”

“Oh! Thank –ness. I… Nae– Komaru.”

Komaru, _Komaru_. Where had she heard that name before?

Before she could remember, the static disappeared only to be replaced by a face. It was a girl, though she had already figured out that much. The young woman in front of her looked frantic, almost as if she would pass out, but she was holding it together somehow.

“Excuse me! This is Jabberwock Island’s contact, isn’t it?” the person Mahiru assumed was Komaru asked.

“I – yes, that’s right,” Mahiru said slowly, eyes wide.

“Thank goodness!” Komaru was breathless at this point. “Please, you have to help my brother!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter kind of spilled out in the last few hours, which I'm happy about. Hope you enjoyed!


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And all hell breaks loose.

It didn’t take long for Mahiru to round up the others. Most of them were still in the dining hall, and they hadn’t asked too much when they saw how panicked she was. She didn’t understand what was happening, but all she knew was that Naegi and possibly the others were in danger. That was a huge risk factor not only for those six, but also for those on the island. If Naegi and his crew were gone, who would stick up for them?

Once everyone was squished in the room, Komaru wasted no time in speaking. “Okay, is this everyone? Good. I’m Naegi Komaru, Naegi Makoto’s sister. Makoto and the others are in trouble!”

“What happened, exactly?” Hajime asked. Despite how tired he had seemed downstairs, he was now wide awake and alert.

Komaru took a few deep breaths, trying to calm herself down. “Okay, so it started with a call from the higher ups. They said something about losing track of Monaka. I don’t know the details, but everyone pretty much rushed out there, even Fukawa, who’s usually partnered with me. They took the helicopter and they left, and even though I was worried I didn’t think much of it. They didn’t come back for hours and then there was something happening on TV.”

“TV?” Kazuichi asked. “I thought they were only broadcasting updates on Towa over there at the moment.”

Komaru bit her lip. “They were until today. The entire city was hacked today, at least all the networks were. Every television in the city started playing footage with Monaka’s face.”

Hajime’s knuckles gripped the table in front of him, turning as white as snow. “What?! What did she say?!”

“She said that unless Hinata Hajime became Kamakura Izuru again, she would destroy her hostages. She said that you should know who they are, so I assume they could only mean my brother and his friends. Please, _please_ save them! I don’t know which one of you is Hinata or who Kamakura Izuru is, but you’re the only people I know who actually care about them enough to do something!” the girl cried. Mahiru wondered how young she was.

Hajime looked like he was in pain and about to vomit all at once, but he managed to answer. “I don’t know what we can do, Naegi-san, but we’ll try our best. Do you know where Monaka is?”

Komaru appeared to think for a few seconds before responding slowly. “Well, from what I could see and hear, Monaka was on the move. Maybe she was in an aircraft of some sort? She’d be able to manage that. She’s done it before. She could be anywhere by now, but if it helps the inside was completely black and grey. Kind of metal-ish. That’s all I can remember, sorry. I can try and ask the Future Foundation if you’d like, but I don’t know how much they’ll tell me.”

“Okay,” Hajime said, voice firm. “Make sure to contact us on here, okay? If we need anything we’ll call this spot, alright?”

“Will do,” Komaru said. “Thank you!”

The screen went black, leaving all of them to process what had just happened. It was just like how it was at the dinner table that evening, except they didn’t have food to distract themselves.

Akane’s voice shot through the silence. “So… What are we gonna do?”

“We have to do something,” Hajime said loudly, even though they could hear him perfectly fine. “These people saved us when we needed it, so we need to repay the favour. I don’t know where they’d be, though. Maybe if we go to Towa we’ll be able to find something.”

Kazuichi paled. He obviously didn’t like the idea of going back to Towa. “Are you sure about that? A lot of us are weak and we won’t have Naegi and the others to supervise us this time. There are Monokumas everywhere, and not just the kind we’re used to.”

“We can handle it,” Fuyuhiko said. “Maybe I haven’t been to Towa, but I’m sure we can figure something out. And not everyone will be going either.”

“That’s easy for you to say,” Kazuichi protested. “You have a bodyguard at your beckon call!”

Fuyuhiko looked like he was going to say something harsh, perhaps throw a punch, but Peko stopped him by speaking. “It’s alright to have a plan, but who would go?”

“Me,” Hajime answered immediately. “I mean, Monaka knows I’m going to be there anyway and she won’t rest until I am. If worst comes to worst, I’ll let her do what she wants to me, but,” he rose his hands to stop everyone else from interrupting him, “if that happens I need you to kill me. Or kill Kamakura. Whatever works.”

“But it will not come to that,” Sonia said. She seemed a hundred per cent sure of herself. “We will not let that happen. There are many other options. I will also help in any way I can.”

Hajime let out a breath. “Okay. First, let’s see who absolutely can’t go. Probably Tsumiki and Komaeda. Tsumiki because she needs to be here for the other comatose students and Komaeda because he’s in absolutely no shape to leave this island.”

Nagito looked a little disheartened, but Mikan nodded profusely. “Y-Yes! Staying here would be best. I wouldn’t be much help to you out there…”

“Okay, so who are the best candidates to go?” Nekomaru asked. “Hinata knows for sure that he’s going. Who else?”

Akane walked forward, punching her right fist into her left hand. “People who can fight. I’ve got this.”

One of Nekomaru’s mechanical arms reached out in front of her, blocking her path. “Alright, but if you go, I go. Someone needs to keep you in check. Besides, I’m half metal. Souda built me to be ten times stronger than I used to be.”

“Okay, so that’s Nidai, Owari, and myself,” Hajime said. “Wait, what if we have nothing to eat? Are you going to be okay with that, Owari?”

Akane looked ready to punch Hajime in the face. “Of course. Those six have done nothing but be nice to us. They helped us, clothed us, fed us. I’m not stopping until they’re safe, even if Togami and Fukawa are assholes sometimes. ‘Sides, if I don’t do something to help my siblings would tell me off.”

Sonia jumped, standing on her tip-toes. “I have an idea!” Everyone turned to look at her. “The people of Novoselic are trained in combat, and that includes flying aircrafts. If possible, I could send some people to look for an aircraft that may contain Monaka and the others. That would be better than sending all of you to Towa City without any leads, correct?”

“Excellent idea, Sonia-san!” Kazuichi said. Mahiru frowned, though she was sure he was more relieved that he didn’t have to return to Towa.

“How will you get in touch with Novoselic, though?” Hajime asked. “Usually you speak to them through Naegi, right?”

Sonia’s face fell slightly. “Well, yes, but that was because I was too ashamed to speak to them directly. I fear that I have hurt them too much.” She gulped and Gundam placed a hand on her shoulder. “I can, however, call the castle. I know the number by heart.”

Hajime looked relieved as he said, “Okay, good. We’ve got another plan. We can wait for them to track them down and we can prepare in the meantime.”

“Preparing for what exactly?” Ibuki asked. “Are we just gonna storm in, guns blazing? Like boom! Pow! Zoom! Kerchang!”

“Something like that…” Everyone stared at Nagito. “What? Just because I’m not allowed to go doesn’t mean I can’t help out somehow, right?”

The group shared looks amongst themselves. Gundam was the one who spoke next. “So, I suppose we should get ready for battle?”

* * *

 

It wasn’t long before everyone was either asleep or in a frenzy. Despite his claims of wanting to help, Nagito had been sent to bed by Mikan, who had retired to her room soon after. No one wanted a sleep deprived nurse. Sonia had wasted no time in contacting Novoselic, Gundam accompanying her. Akane had wanted to train and test her skills, but Nekomaru had protested, saying that both of them needed sleep before they could do anything. Hajime wasn’t going to sleep anytime soon and Fuyuhiko and Peko had decided to keep him company. Mahiru had wanted to join them, but Kazuichi intervened, telling her to sleep like Ibuki and Teruteru.

“Are you going to sleep then?” she asked him as he tried to usher her into her room.

“No, I have things to work on,” he said. “Would you just get inside already?”

She poked her finger at his chest. “You don’t tell me what to do, Souda.”

He looked more amused by the threat than anything. “We’re back to a last name basis, are we?”

Wanting desperately to change the subject, she fumbled for a bit, then said, “What exactly are you going to be working on this late at night? You’re not going to stay up to the early hours of the morning, are you?”

He didn’t answer her, only rolling his eyes. “How about this? You get into bed and I’ll start working on the thing in your room.”

She glared at him for a few seconds, trying to read his eyes in case he was lying to her. He seemed genuine enough, and she figured he was a horrible liar anyway, so she shrugged and walked inside without another word.

Kazuichi grinned, gave her a thumbs up, and ran downstairs. She wriggled her way under the covers and waited patiently for him to return, but he was taking a while. Five minutes turned into ten, then ten turned into twenty. It was a good half hour before he actually came back looking tired and out of breath. He shut the door behind him and sat himself in his usual chair.

“Where in the world were you?!” she asked, turning on her side so she could see him better. “I’ve been waiting for ages!”

His grin didn’t falter. “Sorry. Thought that maybe you’d be asleep by now. Besides, I had to get the right parts to make each of them.”

He gestured to the various bits and bobs on her bedside table and on his lap, but that didn’t really give her an answer. “Each of what?”

“When they’re done they’re gonna be communication devices. Kind of like a video chat app on a phone or something. I’ll put a tracking device in each of them just in case we lose one another somehow,” he said. “I don’t know how many we’ll need, so I’m just gonna make a bunch of ‘em. We’d only really need one for here since everyone staying here isn’t going to be in danger anytime soon, but I want to make spares just in case. Hopefully I’ll have them all done by tomorrow morning.”

Mahiru’s eyes narrowed. “I thought you weren’t going to stay up all night?”

“I didn’t agree to that and you know it,” he retorted, not looking at her. He was already focused on the task at hand. “Now go to sleep.”

She didn’t respond, eyes practically becoming slits as she crossed her arms.

“I’ll take that as a ‘no’ then? You’re incredibly stubborn, you know that?”

She huffed. “So are you, you know. I’m just better at sticking to it than you are.”

He didn’t say anything and she took the silence to mean that she was right. Satisfied, she turned away from him and made sure the covers reached her shoulders. It was only as her head hit the pillow that she remembered the conversation she’d had with Kirigiri the previous evening. She wanted to slam her head into the pillow over and over again, but then Kazuichi would ask what was wrong and she wouldn’t be able to respond.

It was only after a large amount of effort that she managed to fall asleep. She wasn’t sure what time it was. All she knew was that when she opened her eyes once more, the sun was beginning to stream in through the curtains. She had surprised herself, in all honesty, as she had expected to have a restless sleep.

It took her a few seconds, but eventually the sound of metal being scraped against metal reached her ears. She was confused until she rolled over and saw Kazuichi, who was still in the same chair he had been in last night. Shocked, she sat up, trying to flatten her bed hair.

“Kazuichi, what are you still doing here?!” she asked, keeping her voice down so she wouldn’t disturb anyone else sleeping. “You didn’t sleep like I told you to, you hypocrite!”

“Hmm?” She could see the bags under his eyes as he looked at her. “Oh, what time is it?” He looked at the clock. “Holy – six in the morning?!”

Mahiru rolled her eyes. “Of course you didn’t notice the time. Go to bed, okay?”

He shook his head. “No, I’m almost done.”

She looked at her bedside table. There were several devices on there, all of them with the same, sleek black look. They looked like phones at first glance, but she figured they couldn’t do much other than communicate between other devices. No one could program a phone with proper functionalities in such a short amount of time.

“Whatever,” she finally said, pulling the blankets over her face. “Just get some sleep once you’re done, okay?”

Neither of them would be getting anymore sleep for a while, however, as there was a loud pounding on the door. Both of them jumped, though it was Kazuichi who recovered first. He opened the door, revealing Sonia, who looked breathless but otherwise happy and full of life.

“Souda-san? But isn’t this Koizumi-san’s room?” She shook her head and walked in before either of them could answer. “Never mind. I have wonderful news!”

“And what would that be?” Mahiru asked, slipping out from beneath the covers.

“My people have discovered a potential suspect concerning our aircraft!” she said, and Mahiru could tell it was taking her a lot of willpower to keep her from jumping up and down in excitement. “I’ve already told Gundam, Hinata-san, Kuzuryuu-san, and Pekoyama-san. I need to go tell everyone else!”

She started to go out the door but stopped short near the bedside table. “Oh! Hinata-san also wants us all to meet downstairs for both breakfast and a strategy planning meeting!”

As soon as she was gone, Kazuichi groaned. “I was almost done, too! Oh well, working at the table it is, then. You coming?”

Mahiru slipped her shoes on and followed him into the dining hall. Hajime was already there, which was to be expected, as was Gundam, Fuyuhiko, and Peko. Hajime looked like he hadn’t received a wink of sleep that night. He probably hadn’t. The others look alright, though, at least for six in the morning.

It took less than five minutes for everyone to gather downstairs. Teruteru started on breakfast, saying he could hear perfectly well from the kitchen. Everyone else sat around the dining table, eager to find out what was happening next.

“So, Sonia, where did the Novoselic people say the aircraft was?” Hajime asked, getting straight down to business.

“It wasn’t far from Japan, which is good I suppose,” Sonia said. Her words were a little rushed. “The bad news – or perhaps good, considering time and travel – is that it’s slowly moving our way. It’s a blimp with Monokuma’s face on it, so it was easy to spot.”

Hajime sighed, running his hands through his hair. “So they’re definitely coming this way. At least that’ll make the trip shorter.”

“Trip to where?” Nagito asked, leaning forward. “How would we get to the aircraft? We don’t have any way off the island.”

“And I know I can’t make an aircraft before they get here,” Kazuichi said. “It took all night to make these.”

He rose his hand, his little devices sitting inside it. Putting them down on the table for the others to inspect, he said, “This is to communicate between each other. There isn’t enough for each of us, though I’m sure if I had more time I could make some more.”

Gundam took one of the devices and set it down in front of him. San-D turned it on and stared at the touch screen before him. “Superb, shark-like one, but how does it work?”

Kazuichi took one and flipped it around so everyone could see. “Okay, so you turn it on using the middle button, there’s a lock code if you want one which you change in your settings. Then go to the contact list and pick whoever you want.” He tapped on a small address book at the bottom of the screen. “There’s nothing in there now, but there will be. You can put people’s names in and all that. There’s a text option just in case. But yeah, just click on the name and you’re good to go.”

“And you did all of this in one night?” Nekomaru asked.

“He did,” Mahiru answered bitterly before she could stop herself. When everyone looked at her with confused faces she realized what she’d let out. “What?”

Sonia stifled a giggle.

“Back to what Komaeda was saying, though…” Hajime bit the inside of his cheek. “He’s right. We can’t get over there. We’ll have to wait for them to come to us.”

“Huh?!” Ibuki looked like someone had asked her to never pick up a guitar again. “We’re gonna let them land here?! That’s dangerous!”

Peko closed her eyes and breathed slowly. “It seems we have no choice, however. It would be better for us to do this on the island. At least, that’s my opinion.” She looked a little self-conscious as she said that, probably because she wasn’t used to stating her thoughts so openly.

“What do you mean by that?” Akane asked.

Fuyuhiko was the one who answered. “I think I get what she means. This is our turf. We know how Jabberwock works. We know all of its little hiding spots. Monaka doesn’t. She hasn’t got a clue, at least we don’t think she does. It’s our best bet, though. The point is, we have the upper hand in terms of territory.”

“So if that’s the case…” All eyes were on Gundam. “We need a foolproof plan.”

Almost in unison, everyone’s gaze settled on Nagito. It may have been true that he was a thorn in their side during the simulation and that he could be completely inappropriate, it wasn’t completely his fault. All that aside, he was extremely intelligent and was a good strategist. Mahiru knew that if anyone could come up with something it would be him.

He smiled softly. “Well… I have a few ideas.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WHAT? WHAT'S THIS? TWO CHAPTERS IN ONE DAY? WHAT? BAM!


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Casually creating more mysteries for all of you.

**Group chat, Hinata** :

_Every1 ready?_

Mahiru rolled her eyes. This was the third time he’d asked in the last five minutes.

 **Group chat, Kazuichi** :

_JESUS CHRIST HINATA THIS IS THE THIRD FUCKING TIME CHILL PLS_

**Group chat, Pekoyama** :

_Please calm down. We will not be able to sort this out if we are constantly looking at our… whatever these are._

**Group chat, Kazuichi** :

_Theyre called kazuichis_

**Group chat, Kuzuryuu** :

_WE’RE NOT CALLING THEM KAZUICHIS._

**Group chat, Sonia-san** :

_Please cease! My people are telling me the Monokuma blimp is landing._

The phone or device or whatever it was stopped buzzing after that. Mahiru felt herself grow nauseous as she waited from her hiding place. The blimp was to land on the airport runway, the only aircraft to actually land there since they’d been there. It was for that reason that she was hidden in the baggage claim section, right next to the unmoving transporter and Teruteru. There was a small window she could see out of, showing her the runway. At least that was something.

Although she couldn’t see them, she knew Hajime and Nagito were standing in the airport itself, waiting for the blimp to land and Monaka to show up. If all went according to plan, they would be the only two she saw. Mahiru knew she wasn’t an expert at being sneaky, but she had to try.

Her job was simple: once Hajime and Nagito were speaking with Monaka, whether that be inside the blimp or elsewhere, she would sneak into the aircraft along with Teruteru and look for the six. As Kazuichi had protested previously, this job could have been done by anyone, but it was a process of elimination. Hajime and Nagito were meeting with Monaka, Mikan had to stay at the hospital in case something happened there, Ibuki was too loud to pull this off, and the others were all either getting ready to fight or use heavy machinery. Maybe even both. This left only herself and Teruteru.

That wasn’t all, however. The evening before last, Hajime had approached her and taken her aside. He told her he’d had her in mind from the very beginning, but not only because he had faith in her evasive skills. When she’d questioned him, he’d told her his plan. She was to get as many photographs of the inside of the blimp as possible. Anything she found even slightly suspicious was to be photographed.

“You’re the only one with a camera, or at least the only one who can take decent pictures in a hurry,” he’d said.

She had wanted to argue with him, tell him that no pictures should be taken in a hurry, but that wasn’t the main point. The main point was that she had to complete a task no one else could, a task only she, Hajime, and Teruteru knew about. She’d told the chef right before they’d hidden away since she would have to spend less time looking for the six than him and she didn’t want him to think she was slacking off. That was the opposite of what she was doing.

A noise pushed all of her thoughts to the back of her mind. She couldn’t give a proper description of what it sounded like, but she knew exactly what it was. The blimp. It was bigger than she expected, bigger than any aircraft she’d ever seen, but she knew it had to be Monaka’s by the Monokuma face painted on the side.

As soon as the machine was securely on the ground, the door opened and Mahiru realized this wasn’t a proper blimp. The balloon part was not filled with only gas, but was in fact the main headquarters of Monaka and her crew. It was simply designed to look like a blimp to throw people off. The thought made her angry, but she was now more determined to get those pictures.

Monaka herself looked like an angel. She was sitting in a wheelchair with a childish yet soft smile on her face. She looked completely innocent, but Mahiru knew better. They all knew better.

Four kids in Monokuma masks and matching clothes accompanied her, two to her right and two to her left. Mahiru lost sight of her as she entered the airport building, though she was able to hear the chair’s wheels scraping across the floor. She held her breath and waited.

“Ah, you must be Monaka-chan! Hajime’s told me so much about you.”

A muffled cough came from Hajime and Mahiru was sure it had something to do with the first-name basis. She knew exactly how he felt.

“Hmm? What’s Servant doing here?” Monaka’s voice was high-pitched, and to someone who didn’t know her true intentions she may have even sounded innocent. “I thought he wasn’t awake yet.”

“He woke up while I was in Towa City,” Hajime said, and Mahiru could practically see the glare he was giving Nagito, warning him to be quiet. “He doesn’t remember anything.”

Mahiru was confused for a moment before she remembered. Monaka had known Nagito during their despair days. They were allies, even. Hajime was telling her about his memory because she needed to know. She needed to know that he was no longer on her side, no longer her ally. It could even be viewed as a threat.

There was silence for a few moments before Monaka answered. “He can come with us to _talk_ then.” Mahiru shivered at how she said the word ‘talk’. That was evidently not all she had in mind. “Where did you want to go?”

“Perhaps the beach?” Nagito suggested. “It’s quite nice there, and no one will be able to find us. If Pekoyama and Kuzuryuu come along then we’ll just move.”

The wheels began turning again as Monaka moved. “That’s fine with me. Oh, you two stay here and guard the ship. You two come with me.”

It took Mahiru a few seconds to realize she was talking to her guards. She wanted to bang her head against the glass. Of course she wouldn’t leave the place unguarded. It was probably swarming with those masked children, all of them waiting for someone to come in and attack. They would have to be careful.

As Hajime and co. turned the corner, Mahiru watched the blimp from the window. The two masked children who had been asked to stay went inside, which she found strange considering they were meant to be guards. It made even less sense when they returned, carrying a small sign with a piece of paper attached to it. They placed the sign in front of the ramp leading into the ship and took their positions on either side of it.

Her phone buzzed.

 **Hanamura** :

_Wat r they doin out there?_

Oh, right. She’d forgotten he couldn’t see.

 **Mahiru** :

_There’s a sign in front of the ship. I can’t read what it says. It’s too far away._

**Hanamura** :

_Wat do we do?_

Mahiru tapped her phone against her chin as she tried to think. There was no way the children wouldn’t see her and Teruteru as soon as they stepped out of the baggage claim. They may have simply been entourage, but they weren’t blind. The last thing they needed was for them to see them.

 **Hanamura** :

 _U could cause a lil distraction? Usin ur lady charms amirite?_ _ლ_ _(´_ ڡ _`_ _ლ_ _)_

She glared at him. He shrank down behind some abandoned bags.

He had a point, though. They did need a distraction, and the more she thought about it, the more she was sure of her plan. It had to work. _Had_ to. She turned her phone on again and selected Kazuichi’s contact number. She found it funny that he had intended it for video communication yet they were using it for texts.

 **Mahiru** :

_You, could you send a distraction?_

**Kazuichi** :

_Wot why_

**Mahiru** :

_Monaka’s got guards on her ship and we can’t go in without being spotted._

**Kazuichi** :

_2 do that frm where I am itd have to b big n we cant risk it bc monaka would see_

Mahiru sighed. She hated it when he had a point. Unless any of them were directly threatened, they couldn’t make a scene. It would ruin everything. If Monaka played nice, so would they. She couldn’t help but feel that wouldn’t happen, though.

 **Mahiru** :

 _K_.

 **Kazuichi** :

_Did u just k me????_

Mahiru ignored the message. Turning to Teruteru, she was going to message him again, but this time he wasn’t looking at her. Instead he was staring at the door to the baggage claim where the kids in the masks now stood. She had to do a double take. They were, in fact, the same ones. She and Teruteru had been spotted.

“Uh…” Teruteru closed his mouth, opened it, then closed it again. “Hello?”

The kids simply giggled, or at least that’s what it sounded like, and grabbed their hands, dragging them out of the baggage claim. Mahiru was worried they were going to hurt them until they stopped in front of the sign. They let them go after that and stood on either side once again.

“What… What exactly are you trying to do?” Mahiru asked. Neither child responded.

“At least we can read the sign now,” Teruteru offered with a hopeful voice, but his accent was beginning to show through, telling her he was nervous. His eyes scanned over the sign, eyebrows furrowing in confusion. “It’s a puzzle.”

Mahiru moved beside him and bent down a little so she could see the sign. She read it aloud. “During a recent police investigation, a policeman was interviewing five local villains to try and identify who stole Fujimoto-san’s cake. Here is a summary of their statements: Takashi said that it wasn’t Daisuke and it was Matsume, Matsume said it wasn’t Katoya and it wasn’t Daisuke, Katoya said it was Daisuke and it wasn’t Takashi, Ryouta said it was Katoya and it was Matsume, and Daisuke said it was Ryouta and it wasn’t Takashi. It was well known that each suspect told exactly one lie. Can you determine who stole the cake?”

“What’s this about?” Teruteru asked.

Mahiru stood there for a few seconds, taking everything in. It finally dawned on her what they were doing. “I think… I think they might let us in if we solve the puzzle.”

The children giggled again.

Teruteru looked up at her, confused but wanting her to continue. “What, just like that?”

She shrugged. “I don’t know, but we’re not going to get anywhere just by staring. What have we got to lose? They’ve seen us, but they haven’t alerted Monaka. At least they don’t seem to have. I don’t know what they’re playing at, but do we really have any other choice?”

She didn’t wait for him to answer, instead going over the puzzle. Two things stood out to her: Matsume’s and Ryouta’s statements. The others were all one did it, one didn’t do it, but these two were the same. That was where the key was. She re-read the statements a few times before it all came together.

“It’s Katoya.”

Teruteru looked at her. “How do you figure?”

Mahiru pointed to the two statements she’d focused on. “Each of them told exactly one lie, right? Matsume said it wasn’t Katoya or Daisuke, which meant if he was lying one of them did it. Then go down to Ryouta’s statements. He says that it was Katoya and Matsume. What’s the same about both of those?”

Teruteru’s eyes flickered from side to side before he found the answer. “Oh! Katoya. Okay, okay, I get you.”

Turning to face the kids, she said, “Katoya is the answer.”

At first, the children did nothing. They continued to stare straight ahead for a good few seconds before laughing. Their childish cackles were becoming irritating, but Mahiru tried to ignore it. This was about getting into that blimp or whatever it could be called now.

Even though the children didn’t say anything, she knew she’d said the right thing as they moved the sign out of the way and gestured for her and Teruteru to ascend the ramp. They exchanged a nervous glance before doing so, stepping into the ship with a ‘ _clink’_. The door shut behind them, making a loud noise.

“I hope we can get out again,” Teruteru whispered, mostly to himself, but Mahiru heard him regardless.

Instead of focusing on whether they were trapped, she decided to look around. The inside definitely proved it wasn’t just hot air. The walls and floor were black and dark grey, confirming that this was the place Komaru had seen on television. That meant that the hostages had to be around somewhere. Why Monaka would give them the opportunity to pass, however, she didn’t know. That girl was a lot more trouble than it was worth.

As she walked, she could tell the floor was some kind of metal by the sound her shoes made on the surface. There were monitors lining the walls, a desk right in front of them and a door leading to the cockpit on the right, or at least that was what the door said. There were multiple doors to their left, masked children darting between them, in and out, none of them paying her or Teruteru any mind. It was strange.

“Hanamura, you should go look for Naegi and the others. The earlier you find them the better. I’ll have a look around and see what I can find,” she said, lifting her camera up.

Teruteru understood. “I’ll leave you to it, milady,” he said before running through the doorway in the centre.

Now that she was alone, Mahiru got to work. Although the masked children weren’t trying to attack her or anything of the sort, she still wanted to remain as quiet as possible, just in case she provoked them. She didn’t know who they were or what their purpose was other than being Monaka’s minions, but there was something about them that just didn’t sit right with her.

The control panel was clean, though the desk had a few stains. They didn’t look like a dangerous substance, probably part of a milkshake that had accidentally been spilled. It seemed like something someone Monaka’s age would do. There were various buttons, none of them with labels other than the computer keyboard. To one side was the mouse, and with a slight bit of hesitation she moved it, waking the monitor from its sleep.

She thought she had broken something when the screen turned blue, but no white text appeared. A box appeared, and right above it was the phrase, ‘Please enter your password’. She gave an exasperated huff, looking over her shoulder afterwards to make sure she hadn’t been heard. None of the kids looked up. Once she was sure, she got back to work. She didn’t know what a child’s password would be, but there were a few things she could try. She just hoped her attempts weren’t limited.

She typed her first idea: _despair_

_Access denied._

She frowned. _towamonaka_

_Access denied._

She racked her brain, thinking back to what Hajime had said before she tried again. She wanted to be sure.

_junkochan_

_Access granted._

Even though it was purely luck that had driven her to that conclusion, Mahiru couldn’t help but feel pleased with herself. Children always thought their passwords were easy, but Monaka took the cake. There were few things she cared about, or at least that’s what it sounded like, so there were only a limited number of things to try. She thought the younger girl would have been smarter with her options, though. The name of her idol was fairly predictable.

There was already a few programs up and running. One was what seemed to be a hacking program, and by the looks of it, it was connected to Towa City. While that wasn’t a surprise, as they had already figured she had forced herself into Towa’s network, Mahiru took a picture of it anyway.

The next program was hard to decipher. It looked like some sort of video game, which made her think of Chiaki, who would have been able to tell her what it was had she been there. She willed herself not to cry thinking about that, instead focusing on the screen before her. A model was being shown, but it was still in its early stages, so it was hard to tell what it was. Or rather, _who_ it was. It was obviously a person, judging by the silhouette. Someone with long pigtails and probably a skirt. Perhaps Hajime would be able to make sense of it. Another picture was taken.

The third and last program was a simple word program. On it were two lists. One was of names she didn’t recognize, such as Utsugi Kotoko and Shingetsu Nagisa. That wasn’t the list that bothered her, though. The page that made her breath catch in her throat was the one with her name on it. It had all their names: Hinata Hajime, Komaeda Nagito, Tsumiki Mikan – _everyone_. At the bottom was a list named ‘to be included’ with more names she didn’t know: Ishimaru Kiyotaka, Kuwata Leon, etc. The names Ikusaba Mukuro and Fujisaki Chihiro were underlined. She took another picture, feeling this would be an important one.

Taking a few steps back, she put her eye to the viewfinder to take a photograph of the entire control panel, just in case someone else spotted something she didn’t notice. She made sure to get one from every angle, no longer caring about the children running around. This was important information, and a lot more than what she had expected to find.

She didn’t know where to go next. Teruteru was covering the middle doorway, so she would leave that to him. As she thought, she placed her camera on the desk, not wanting to carry it around constantly. Knowing she didn’t have much time, she played a quick ‘choosing game’ before settling on the left door. She went to pick up her camera, but stopped in her tracks.

A masked child was standing by the desk with her camera in their hands. She guessed it was a girl due to the dress, but her face was completely blocked off, just like it was with the others. It was ten times creepier now that she was staring at it head-on, not being able to tell what expression she had.

The girl took a step towards her, making her take a step back. She cursed herself for appearing so afraid and tried to speak, hoping to diffuse the tension. “Um, hello. May I have my camera back now please?”

She took the girl walking towards her as a sign of confirmation and reached out to take her camera. Before her hands could close around it, however, the girl shook her head and tapped the screen. Confused, she looked down.

The screen was on the camera’s memory bank. Mahiru had been expecting one of the pictures she had just taken, worried that she had been busted somehow, but that wasn’t the case. Instead she was looking at a picture of Akane. It was an action shot taken only a couple of weeks ago while the gymnast was training.

“Is there… a reason you’re showing me this?” Mahiru asked, trying to choose her words carefully.

The girl seemed to hesitate, then nodded.

“Okay…” Mahiru thought about her next question. “Do you know the girl in the picture?”

There was no hesitation this time, just a firm nod.

That didn’t make any sense to Mahiru. How did a child on Monaka’s ship know Akane? Either Akane was hiding something from them, which seemed highly unlikely, or this girl had met her sometime before everything that happened.

It all made sense when she saw the girl’s skin. Contrasting against Mahiru’s own, her skin was tanned, almost olive. It looked eerily similar to Akane’s. She remembered something Akane had mentioned during a conversation not too long ago, something about siblings and looking after them. It was easy to figure out from there.

“Are you Owari-san’s sister?” she asked.

The girl jumped up and down, nodding.

Mahiru grinned. She couldn’t wait to tell Akane, but they had other things to take care of first. Perhaps she could use this information to her advantage. “Hey, have you seen about six people around my age somewhere around here?”

The girl thought for a moment, tapping her mask before lifting her finger in a ‘eureka!’ pose. Without warning, she thrust the camera back into Mahiru’s hand and grabbed the other one, dragging her through the centre door. While that wasn’t what Mahiru had originally planned, she decided to trust the girl. Even if she was one of Monaka’s workers, there had to be reason she remembered Akane so well.

The centre doorway was filled with masked children, all of them running around and bumping into each other where hallways intersected. None of them paid her or Akane’s sister any mind, which she was thankful for, but she couldn’t help but grow nervous. Each hallway looked the same, nothing to differentiate them from each other. She hoped she would be able to find her way back on her own if need be.

Akane’s sister stopped at a set of double doors, facing a small monitor on the wall. She shifted her weight from one foot to the other before rubbing her finger on one of the ears of her helmet. It took Mahiru for her to take her finger away before she realized she was scratching herself, causing blood to drip from her finger.

Suddenly worried, Mahiru tried to speak, but the girl wasn’t finished. She swiped her blood on the monitor, but instead of staining it, the machine absorbed it. Mahiru was speechless. She had never seen technology like that before.

The doors opened with a hiss, but they hadn’t even stopped before Akane’s sister took her hand again, wiping the blood from her other hand on her dress. She barely noticed it. Her eyes were fixated on the room in front of her.

Lined up, one after the other, were cells. They were all empty, at least as far as she could see. The two of them were only on the left side of the room, and she hardly had a chance to take a picture before she was pulled in the opposite direction. The right side had more cells, all of them identical to one another. It was rather creepy.

It was only as they neared the other end of the room that Mahiru saw them. She could hardly miss them, not with Hagakure’s hair and the way Fukawa was nervously pacing around the cage. As she got closer, she was able to hear them, Asahina and Hagakure humming a song she didn’t recognize. All of them looked up as they neared.

“Koizumi-san!” Asahina exclaimed, cutting off her and Hagakure’s tune. “What are you doing here?! Where are we?!”

“Jabberwock Island,” Mahiru said, trying to remain calm. “Monaka’s talking to Hinata and Komaeda right now. Hanamura and I were sent to get you out of here. I don’t know where he’s gone since we split up, but I’ve found you now. Is everyone alright?”

All eyes turned to Naegi. Mahiru wondered how she hadn’t noticed him before. He was lying on the floor, his head in Kirigiri’s lap. He was breathing, at the very least, but he was pale. Something was wrong with him, and by the looks on the others’ faces, no one knew what.

“Right, um… I need to get you out of here.” She turned to Akane’s sister. “A little help?”

The girl nodded and gestured to another monitor near the wall. It was the exact same of the one just outside the room. Her finger, which hadn’t ceased bleeding, was raised to the screen, once again being swiped across the surface. The cell door didn’t make a noise when it opened as it had happened so fast, but it was undeniable: it had been unlocked.

The five conscious prisoners stood up, Hagakure lifting Naegi so he was leaning against his back. It was the former that spoke next. “Thanks, Koizumi-chi! We owe you –”

 _BANG_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Could I have continued? Yes. Could I have not had a cliffhanger? Yes. Why didn't I? Because I'm an evil child.
> 
> //Cackles into the distance.


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I regret nothing.

Kirigiri was the first to move, and after that everyone followed.

None of them knew what that sound was, but they were going to find out. Mahiru had completed her task, so now all she had to do was find Teruteru and escape. She held the hand of Akane’s sister as she ran, wanting the other girl to be safe for Akane’s sake. The doors opened as they approached, making for an easy exit, but that wasn’t what worried her. It was the complete lack of masked children that was her concern.

“Where are you friends?” she called back to Akane’s sister. The girl only shrugged.

They twisted and turned through the halls, but they didn’t find Teruteru until Kirigiri bumped into him. Literally. The two of them fell backwards, but as usual, Kirigiri was up first. She hoisted Teruteru up and pushed him forward, forcing him to snap out of his daze and to run. He didn’t need to be told twice.

The mystery of the missing children was solved as they ran into the main room. All of the kids were there, every single one of them huddled around the control panel. Mahiru couldn’t see what they were doing, but she didn’t think she would like it.

Before she could do or say anything, Akane’s sister began to pull on her arm. She looked down, and even without seeing the girl’s face she knew she was trying to get her to leave. Her actions exuded urgency.

“Um, guys, I think we should go,” Mahiru said to the others, nodding towards Akane’s sister.

The others must have gotten the message, for they were straight out the front door. As it turned out, leaving wouldn’t be a problem, unlike what Teruteru had predicted. That was the easiest part, in fact. Mahiru didn’t really think about it much. All she wanted to do was see how everyone was and make sure everyone was safe.

If the airport was anything to go by, nothing had happened. Everything was still and peaceful, but that was before they heard it.

_Bang!_

_Klang!_

_Boom!_

“Is… Is that coming from the beach?”

Togami’s usual scowl deepened. “It sounds like it’s coming from everywhere. The loudest I can hear seems to be coming from the hotel area.”

At that, Mahiru’s stomach dropped. Her throat became dry and scratchy. She needed water, but that could come later. She needed to get to the hotel first. Saving her friends, or at least trying to save her friends, came before her own needs. She was about to run off when she felt a tug on her sleeve. It was Akane’s sister.

Mahiru just stared at her, feeling somewhat numb. Kirigiri said, “Hagakure, could you take Naegi and this little girl to the hospital? Tsumiki should be there, correct?”

Teruteru nodded and Hagakure sped off, taking the girl and Naegi along with him. For a goofy guy, it was good to see that even he could be reliable when it counted. Mahiru didn’t rest on the thought for long, however. She had things to do, people to help, if not save. Most of them had all died once. They didn’t need to die again.

Without saying a single word the others, she sped off in the direction of the hotel. She could hear someone, probably Asahina, call after her, but she didn’t stop. They had no time to rest. Their home was in danger and she was not about to let some grade schooler destroy it completely.

She was vaguely aware of Kirigiri and Fukawa behind her, but she didn’t acknowledge their presence. She forgot they were there completely when she reached the area with the cottages. Even from far away, she could see the familiar black and white bears terrorizing the hotel and pool area. It was for only a few seconds that she stood there, running into the fray as soon as she could.

It was a stupid idea. Later on she would realize that, but for now logic was out the window. Adrenaline was taking over, and boy, was there a lot of it. She had no weapon, only a single camera to her name, so when she finally came face to face with a Monokuma, she froze. It seemed to leer at her, taunting her without words as its fist started to come down –

 “Gahahahahahaha!”

And suddenly Genocider was in front of her, scissors in hand. Once she had broken the Monokuma to pieces, she leaned backwards so she could see Mahiru. “That was a stupid idea, you know. Lucky that your friendly neighbourhood serial killer is here!”

She cackled as she ran around the pool to inside the hotel, avoiding Monokumas on the way. Mahiru watched her go until she was out of sight, only ripping her eyes away when Kirigiri handed her a weapon.

At least she thought that was what it was. It looked like a megaphone. It seemed more high-tech than a normal one, but other than that it was fairly ordinary. “So, what’s this?”

“Yours is a simple one, so just aim and push.” Kirigiri demonstrated by pushing the speaker button. Mahiru didn’t know what she had expected to happen, but a ball of electricity shooting out like a bullet hadn’t been it. She jumped back in surprise, but her face hardened seconds later.

“Okay, got it.”

She didn’t know how long she fought for. The people who had been stationed by the hotel were no longer around, or at least not that they could see. Sounds were coming from inside the lodge, but she couldn’t tell what they were. They were drowned out by the Monokumas near them that were slowly decreasing in number. She didn’t know how many of them there were, but there were less than before, which was a good sign.

The sun had almost disappeared by the time all the Monokumas were gone. Debris was scattered everywhere, machinery and wires both on land and in the pool. Mahiru had to lean over to regain her breath. She had never been one for physical activity, and this just proved it. Kirigiri looked a little tired but gave no other indication that she was exhausted or hurt, which was fortunate. She wondered if they trained daily at the Future Foundation.

“We should find the others, yes?” Kirigiri said once Mahiru was steady once more. Mahiru looked at her and was about to open her mouth when she was cut off. “You came here for a reason, right? Looking for someone.”

Mahiru didn’t answer. She ignored the small smile Kirigiri was giving her and ran into the hotel. She hadn’t been to the hotel since waking up, so she had expected it to be different, but not like this. Part of the wall and ceiling had been broken, leaving a few large holes. The pool table in the corner was broken and a few of the lights were out. A battle had definitely taken place here, but no one was in sight.

She was about to go up the stairs when Genocider came down, sliding down the bannister. Peko and Fuyuhiko soon followed, both of them tired with a few scrapes on them, but neither seriously injured. She let out a breath of relief.

“Thank goodness you two are okay,” she said, running up to them.

Genocider slithered behind her, placing her head on her shoulder. “What am I? Chopped testicles?”

Mahiru winced at the crudeness. “No, of course not, Genocider-san. You saved my life, and I’m very thankful for it.”

“Gahahahaha! All in a day’s work, Koko!” she said, skipping over to Kirigiri’s side.

Mahiru didn’t bother asking about the strange nickname. Instead, she focused on Fuyuhiko and Peko. She was glad they were safe, but… “Wait, where’s Kazuichi?”

The three stationed at the hotel had been Kazuichi, Peko, and Fuyuhiko. They had the most people since Monaka would be the closest to them. If anything happened, which apparently it had, Hajime and Nagito were going to need all the backup they could get. Nagito may have been evasive, but he wouldn’t have been able to get away on his own without some help.

“He’s not with you?” Fuyuhiko asked. “He’s probably in the old lodge. That’s where he was setting all of his equipment up. Hope it’s not destroyed by this point.”

Mahiru gave him a nod before rushing out of the hotel and up the stairs of the lodge. She had to stop herself from throwing the door open, knowing she would probably scare the living daylights out of the mechanic if she made too much noise. As much as he talked about protecting others, he had a habit of not really living up to the task. That concerned her.

She immediately moved to the dining hall, glad that no one was following her. Hopefully they would all be talking about what to do next. She opened the doors and almost screamed with happiness and relief.

Kazuichi was inside surrounded by technical equipment as well as some Monokuma rubble. He had a scratch on his cheek and his glasses were broken, but he didn’t look too worse for wear. With a smile, she ran over to him, avoiding all the litter in the process, and gave him a big hug. She felt him tense a little but slowly wrap his arms around her. It was a comforting feeling.

“You idiot! I didn’t know where you were! You weren’t with Kuzuryuu and Pekoyama and you were all alone and –”

He dared to laugh. She could feel his chest vibrate as he did so. “Mahiru, calm down. I wasn’t the one truly in danger here, you know. You were the one who had to get the others out of there. Did you get ‘em?”

Mahiru broke away, but her hands were still gripping his elbows. “Well, yeah, but it was –”

_Ring ring, ring ring!_

Both of their phones were ringing. They both looked at each other before digging into their pockets and answering. It was a call to the group chat, and once they answered the same face appeared on the screen.

“Guys, guys, guys!” Ibuki screamed. From what Mahiru could tell, she was at one of the beaches, which didn’t make sense since she had been stationed on the third island. “Emergency! Emergency! Get to the first island beach now!”

Mahiru didn’t have to be told twice. She dashed out of the old lodge, Kazuichi hot on her heels. She met up with the others at the front of the hotel building. All of them had varying degrees of concern on their face except for Genocider, who looked like they were going to get some ice cream and hang out at the beach instead of possibly saving someone from Monaka’s evil clutches.

“You got the message, I presume?” Peko asked, her sword already in her hand.

Kazuichi nodded. “Yup, let’s go.”

They all ran out of the hotel area as one, keeping up the same speed as they rushed to the beach. It didn’t take long to figure out what was happening, what Ibuki had been so panicked about: a tower made of Monobears was holding something high above the trees, other Monokumas running to the beach with their bomb timers going off.

“What the – the fuck is this shit?!” Fuyuhiko demanded, but no one had an answer.

Genocider ran into the fray, not at all concerned by the bombs. The same couldn’t be said for the others, who were all somewhat hesitant to go charging in without a plan. Even so, Peko raised her sword and bowed her head.

“Stay here, young – Fuyuhiko,” she said before she ran after Genocider.

Fuyuhiko called out and ran after her, disappearing as well. Mahiru hardly noticed. Her gaze was focused on the tower of Monokumas, or more specifically, what they were holding. It was only when a leg dangled over the side that she realized what was happening.

“It’s Hinata!” she said. Kirigiri and Kazuichi turned to look at her. “Those Monokumas are keeping Hinata up high. Come on!”

Ignoring Kazuichi’s shouts, she grabbed her weapon and (almost literally) dove into the battle. It was clearer to see what was happening on land now that she wasn’t so focused on the tower. Peko, Fuyuhiko, and Genocider were already going full force along with Ibuki, who was using her guitar to destroy the Monokumas either by playing it or smashing them over the head. Togami, Asahina, and Teruteru were there as well, the latter with a weapon similar to the one she had received. All of them were battling through the machines one by one.

But what startled her the most was the unmoving figure kneeling down beneath a tree, eyes wide and scared. Nagito looked like he had seen a ghost. No, it was more like he had looked Medusa in the eyes. He wasn’t moving at all. He looked shocked, but all of his limbs were slack, and he didn’t care at all about the fight going on around him. Mahiru didn’t know whether it was due to his dementia and it had given him a shock or whether it was something else.

She had to ignore him for the time being, however, as the Monokumas had spotted her. There was no time to waste. They would only be able to get Hajime down when they defeated these Monokumas. Even though it seemed like there was an endless supply of them, they had to get through it. Nothing could bring them down.

When Kirigiri joined them, she was accompanied by not only Kazuichi, but Nekomaru and Akane as well. Looking at the latter, Mahiru remembered the little girl now at the hospital and she hoped that they would all get out of this to see her. Now wasn’t the time to get sentimental, though. Kirigiri had something to say. She could see it in the detective’s eyes.

“These Monokumas are just here to distract you,” Kirigiri shouted over the battle noises. “They want to distract you from the main goal: Hinata!”

Mahiru, who had been fighting a Monokuma while listening, finished it off in one last hit before stopping. “Alright, okay, I see that, but what do we do about it? How do we get up there?”

“I’ll let them hit me with the brunt of the attacks,” Nekomaru said, puffing his chest out proudly. “They can’t get me with this natural armour of mine. I’ll stay down here and distract these guys while you do whatever you guys plan, okay? I hope you all had a good shit before this.”

Having seen them all grouped together, Togami jogged over to them. Even in the midst of a battle, he stood like an heir. Now if only he dropped the attitude, Mahiru may have liked him a lot better.

“What’s going on here? I assume we’re talking about the tower of Monokumas,” he said.

Kirigiri nodded. “Yes. These Monokumas are just distractions. We all need to get Hinata down from that tower as soon as possible. He is what Monaka really wants. And she’s evidently done something to Komaeda as well.” She gestured towards the unmoving boy. “If we had something to climb on, perhaps make a tower of our own, that would be for the best…”

“Make a tower of our own?” Kazuichi asked, lifting his hand to his head, messing up his hair even more. “How are we supposed to do that?”

Their answer didn’t come to them in words. Instead, it arrived via the road. They heard wheels coming their way, but the machinery noises proved it couldn’t be Monaka and her wheelchair. All of them turned to the main road and almost stepped back in shock.

“I… I forgot we had one of those,” Kazuichi said.

A tank-like machine was coming their way. At least it resembled one, except this one had windows. It stood tall and proud as it made a detour on the sand. Now that it was coming straight towards them, they could see who was inside. Gundam and his hamsters were in the passenger seat, looking incredibly concerned. That wasn’t what gained Mahiru’s attention, however. In the driver’s seat was Sonia, who looked like she was having a fantastic time driving a war machine. They stopped right beside them, having to use stairs to get back down to ground level.

Mahiru didn’t take her eyes off the tank. “I had no idea you could use one of these things, Sonia-san.”

Sonia beamed, a strange expression considering their current situation. “Of course! All the children are trained in various aspects of war. As the country’s princess I was no exception at all!”

“Did they teach you to drive as fast as the first three demons of hell combined?” Gundam muttered, leaning on the passenger seat door. He looked ready to collapse.

Togami and Kirigiri shared a look. The latter spoke. “Sonia-san. I have an idea that requires your war expertise.”

* * *

 

Mahiru was sure any other experience she’d had in her life would never match up to this.

She was currently in the middle of a totem pole that was moving around at high speed. At least it felt like they were going very fast, when in reality Sonia was driving at the slowest pace she could. Her job was easy. All she had to do was drive the damn thing. The rest of them were forced to create their own tower made up of their bodies. One person stood on the top of the tank, another stood on their shoulders, and so one and so forth.

Being one of the physically weakest of the group, Mahiru had been near the top so her burden wasn’t as heavy. At the very bottom was Togami followed by Genocider (she had refused to be anywhere other than next to Togami), Kazuichi, Gundam, Asahina, Peko, Fuyuhiko, Kirigiri, then herself. Above her was Teruteru and Akane (the former was very happy about that). If it had been just about strength, the gymnast would have been more towards the bottom, but she was needed at the very top for this plan to work.

Nekomaru and Ibuki had agreed to stay on the bottom among the incoming Monokumas. The musician had a plan in case they were overwhelmed with the amount of Monokumas, though she hadn’t given them any details. Nagito was also with them, none of them being able to wake him up from his trance. He was still underneath his tree.

“Is everything all set up there?!” Asahina called from her spot. “I can’t really look up to see!”

Akane was the one who replied. She was the only one in a position to really do so. “Yep! I’m just about to climb up.”

“Please be careful with my sword,” Peko said, voice louder than usual to be heard over the noise.

“Don’t worry, Pekoyama. I’ve got this,” Akane said. If this was anyone else, Mahiru may have been worried by how carefree she sounded, but there was underlying tone of determination that she just couldn’t ignore. “Alright, he we go!”

Mahiru knew that Akane had jumped from their tower and onto the Monokumas by the weight that was lifted from her shoulders. She sighed in relief. Teruteru was tiny, and despite him being a bit pudgy, he wasn’t too heavy at all. She only hoped that Akane would be able to finish their job quickly. She didn’t know how long they would be able to hold this up for.

After a few minutes, she asked Teruteru, “How’s she doing, Hanamura?”

Teruteru’s accent was once again slipping, probably from being so high up. “She’s doing well so far. She’s almost to the very top, but it’s hard to see her panties now.”

If they weren’t in the position they were now, Mahiru would have slapped him. Instead, she opted for rolling her eyes. “Okay, Hanamura. Too much info.”

“Okay! She’s at the very top. Monokumas are trying to swipe at her, but they can’t get to her,” Teruteru continued.

“They can’t move too much or their tower will come crashing down,” Togami said, though his voice was faint in Mahiru’s ears. “They know that, so they can’t do anything about Owari. The biggest threat will be the Monokumas on the top that aren’t holding onto Hinata. They’re able to move their arms.”

“Well, she’s doing fine right now!” Teruteru called once again. “She’s almost to him… Yep, okay, and now she’s tying the sword bag to his legs.”

Mahiru had the urge to cheer, but Akane’s job was only half over. Teruteru didn’t speak for a few minutes. He was either waiting for something to happen or he was once again enamoured by Akane’s underpants. Mahiru didn’t have the courage to check. She wanted to just keep looking straight ahead instead of up or down. They needed to keep this tower up for as long as possible.

Teruteru didn’t need to tell them when she returned. Mahiru could hear Akane as she climbed down the Monokumas, not even bothering to jump back onto the totem pole, instead climbing down with Hajime strapped to her back all the way to the tank.

“I’ve got him!” she said. “You can all get down now!”

Mahiru did cheer this time, not even bothering to tell Teruteru not to look up her skirt as he climbed down. She was the second to reach the roof of the tank, and she was lucky she did, for at that moment there was a blood curdling scream accompanied by a powerful guitar solo. A bunch of Monokumas fell backwards onto the sand.

“Mioda’s plan, I assume,” Togami said. He looked like he wanted to rub his ears, but his grip on Genocider’s ankles prevented him from doing so.

Mahiru was about to comment, but the words died in her throat as she saw a bright light coming their way. She thought she was seeing things until someone else screamed, “Get down!”

Practically sliding off the tank, she landed on the ground with a harsh noise, but it was drowned out by the sound of an explosion. She was worried the tank was going to fall on her by the way it shook, but what concerned her the most was the screams of those above her. Not everyone had managed to get down in time, and she was scared to think about what had happened to them.

When the noise and shaking had stopped, she opened her eyes. There was no longer a bright light coming their way. The tank was dented, but Sonia hadn’t been hurt from the looks of it. Neither had Teruteru, who had dived into the passenger’s seat. Akane had managed to keep Hajime safe by army crawling underneath the tank of all things. Togami was no longer holding everybody up, looking a little dazed as he sprawled himself out on the tank’s roof. That left one very important question.

Where was everyone else?

Mahiru ran around the tank, avoiding the gun. The Monokumas had all been destroyed, now in pieces around the beach. Nekomaru, Ibuki, and Nagito had been out of the way of the explosion, so they were all safe. The same couldn’t be said for the others.

Everyone involved in the tower had fallen somewhere around the beach. Kirigiri, Fuyuhiko, and Peko had all been lucky enough to fly all the way into the sea. The water hadn’t been incredibly deep, but enough that they hadn’t been seriously injured. Asahina was right near the shore, but she had managed to land in a way that she was safe. Genocider had turned back into Fukawa, who was confused as she sat against a tree, but she was otherwise alright.

The only two left were –

“Gundam!”

At Sonia’s shout, Mahiru spun around. The blonde was running towards her boyfriend, who was lying on the ground with his leg at a strange angle. She hardly noticed, though. Her focus was on the body behind the breeder, the one with the disgustingly yellow jumpsuit, except now it was tainted with red.

Without hesitation, she ran over, avoiding Sonia and Gundam as she collapsed on the sand beside Kazuichi. “What – what the hell was that light? That explosion?” she screamed. “Who did this?!”

“Who do you think?” Togami asked coldly, pointing at something behind her.

Mahiru looked around. The airship Monaka had arrived in was now once again on the move. It was hard to spot, but attached to the sides were cannons, all of them pointed in the direction of the beach. It was now clear who the source of the explosion was.

Sonia made an inhuman noise, something similar to a growl. “I’ll shoot them down!”

“Wait!” Mahiru said. The princess, who had been on her way to the tank, stopped in her tracks. “There are kids in there! A lot of them. They’re Monaka’s workers, I think, but I don’t think they’re to blame. Either way, I don’t think you’ll be able to reach them, and you’ll definitely be outmatched.”

Sonia looked torn, and though Mahiru could feel her pain, she couldn’t let her do something she would regret. “I know how you feel, but we got what we came for. Now we need to get Tanaka and Kazuichi to the hospital, okay?”

Although she looked like she wanted to protest, Sonia nodded, blinking back tears. “You are right. Koizumi-san, do you think you could handle both of them if I put them in the passenger seat with you?”

Mahiru didn’t know, but she was willing to try. “Yes. Come on. The sooner we get them in the better.”

Everyone else who wasn’t completely soaked or Togami and Fukawa helped them carry Kazuichi and Gundam to the tank. Mahiru sat inside first, letting the others drape the two boys over her. It was uncomfortable and the smell of blood was beginning to fill her senses, but it was nothing she couldn’t handle. Their health was more important than her discomfort.

“What are you going to do about Hinata-san?” Sonia asked Kirigiri as she slipped into the driver’s seat.

“We’ll inspect him here before taking him to the hospital,” Kirigiri said. “He doesn’t seem to be visibly hurt, just unconscious. We’ll be there soon. You two worry about Souda and Tanaka.”

Sonia nodded and started the engine, the Dark Devas sitting between the two girls. Mahiru had a feeling that the princess would be driving fast judging by Gundam’s comment earlier, but she hadn’t realized how fast she could go. Sonia’s expression was one of determination as she stepped on the gas, throwing them forward onto the road.

Neither of them spoke the entire time. Mahiru had concerns, such as how the bridge towards the third island was creaking underneath them and that Kazuichi was slowly slipping off of her, but she didn’t dare say anything. Sonia was focusing on the road ahead with such ferocity that Mahiru found it hard to say anything to her. She didn’t want to distract her either. They needed to get to the hospital as soon as possible.

Mikan and Hagakure were already waiting for them outside the main entrance. As soon as they had parked, they rushed over to Mahiru’s side of the tank, opening the door as fast as they could. Mikan took Kazuichi while Hagakure took Gundam. There were no stretchers in sight, and Mahiru wondered if they were going to carry them all the way to their rooms.

“Ibuki-san rang and told us what had happened,” Mikan said as she and Hagakure rushed in front of them and into the main building. “We figured we would wait for you out here since we wanted to help them as soon as possible.”

They ran upstairs until they reached the boys’ respective rooms. “I must work on Souda-san first,” Mikan explained to the both of them. “He’s bleeding and his injuries are on his head. Please don’t hate me, Sonia-san!”

Sonia said something, but Mahiru didn’t catch it. She was too exhausted to think straight. Now that there was nothing she could do, her task being over, all she wanted to do was sink to her knees and cry. She couldn’t, though. The others would still need her, even if it was just for moral support.

“I’m going to check on Gundam, okay?” Sonia said to her, voice soft, before disappearing into Gundam’s room.

Mahiru nodded slowly until long after she was gone, stopping only when her back hit the wall. She slid down and closed her eyes, wanting nothing more than to sleep and forget everything that had happened.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know you're all probably hella confused and everything went by so fast, but that was the point. Mahiru is confused and everything just happened one after the other and she was overwhelmed, so that was how I wrote it. The next chapter should be a bit slower in pace.


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sonia also knows what's up. Apparently so does Kazuichi. Mahiru's just tired.

Mahiru wasn’t sure how long it took for everyone else to arrive. Ten to twenty minutes, she guessed, but she didn’t know. Kazuichi’s little devices didn’t show the time, which she would have to talk to him about when he woke up.

If he woke up.

She shook the thought out of her head. No, he was going to survive. She had survived dying and being slammed into a wall, so he was definitely going to survive this. He didn’t have a choice, and if he died she would use Gundam’s summoning magic to bring him back to life just so she could kill him herself. If he died, she would have a few choice words for him.

When the others did arrive, Hajime was still unconscious. Sonia popped her head out of Gundam’s room to explain the situation, all of them moving Hajime to his room themselves before dragging Nagito to his own and going back to Hajime’s. They didn’t come out again for a few minutes. It might have been longer. Mahiru didn’t know.

“Mahiru-chan!” Ibuki sat next to her by Kazuichi’s door. “Are you okay?”

Mahiru looked at her and sighed. “I think so. I don’t know, really. Ask me later. How’s Hinata?”

Ibuki shrugged. “I couldn’t understand what Togami-chan and Kyouko-chan were saying since it was all big words and all that. They said he was fine and that he would wake up soon, then they said something about the brain, and all this brain mumbo jumbo, and then they said we should bring him here so Mikan-chan can have a look at him when she’s ready.”

“At least it sounds like he’s going to be okay,” Mahiru said. Her voice was low, each word scratching against her throat.

“What about Kazuichi-chan? Is he gonna be okay?” Ibuki asked. She sounded so innocent, so cheerful, and while Mahiru knew it was because she was trying to make her feel better, she wished she would be a bit more considerate of the situation.

Alas, she still answered. “I don’t know how he’s doing. Tsumiki-san is in there with him right now since he was bleeding quite a bit. She hasn’t come out yet.”

As if the nurse had heard her, the door to Kazuichi’s room opened and Mikan stepped out. There was blood on her apron, but she didn’t look too nervous, so that was a good sign. Mahiru immediately stood up, making Mikan jump back at her sudden appearance. Ibuki also hopped up, less anxious than either of them, but she still looked concerned.

“How is he?” Mahiru asked, almost dreading the answer.

Mikan smiled softly. “He’s okay! He has a few wounds, but they weren’t too deep, and his head is better than I thought. Better than yours was that one time, even. I-I think you might need to get cleaned up, though…” She trailed off, gesturing to Mahiru’s clothes.

Mahiru looked down. She hadn’t even noticed it before, but her skirt was practically drenched in blood. It must have all been Kazuichi’s since Gundam hadn’t been bleeding, at least from what she had seen. She hardly cared, though. Kazuichi was safe and stable.

“Okay, I should go have a shower. Um, when can I see him?” she asked.

Mikan was already on her way to Gundam’s room. “O-Oh, sorry! Of course. Um, he needs a bit of rest, so perhaps in an hour or so? Also, are the others here yet? I-I see Ibuki-san is here.”

Ibuki saluted. “We’re all here and accounted for, madam nurse! Hajime-chan is unconscious, but the others are all looking after him!”

Mikan sighed in relief. “At least everyone is okay. Can you please tell them I’ll be there soon, Ibuki-san?”

Ibuki nodded and ran off to Hajime’s room, Mikan heading into Gundam’s room and leaving Mahiru all alone. With the burden of Kazuichi’s condition off her shoulders, she felt it easier to move, coming back to her senses. The scent of blood filled her nose and she scowled, heading to her room to take a shower.

The water was warm and inviting, but she couldn’t stay in there for long. Her need to know what was happening with the others stopped her from remaining under the warmth forever, so she left as soon as she was sure all of the blood was off her. Changing into something soft and comfortable, she re-entered the hallway.

No one was there, but a few things had changed, namely that Hajime and Nagito’s doors were closed and Gundam’s was open, voices drifting out of it. That was her one and only option, and she was going to take it. She wasn’t going to stand there by herself with no one to talk to.

Gundam was having a party, it seemed. Not only was Sonia there, sitting in a chair beside his bed, but Ibuki, Teruteru, Nekomaru, and Akane were also there. It was a miracle that they could all fit in there, but they all had a place to sit.

“Are you feeling better, Koizumi?” Nekomaru asked as she sat down in the chair opposite Sonia. “We’re all here ‘cause we got kicked out of Hinata’s room. Kuzuryuu and Pekoyama are downstairs getting some snacks.”

Teruteru muttered something about dinner, but it was ignored.

“Yeah, I’m fine now,” Mahiru said. She was pleased to hear that her voice, while sounding tired, was mostly back to normal. “More importantly, how’s Tanaka?”

Gundam looked a little paler than usual and his leg was elevated, but he was still able to show his usual smirk. “A mere explosion from above can do nothing to harm the body of someone linked to the underworld such as myself. A simple twist of the limb is all it can cause.”

Mahiru looked at Sonia for a translation. “He broke his leg in a couple of places, but other than that he’s going to be fine!”

“I’m glad to hear it,” Mahiru said. “What happened while I was cleaning up?”

Ibuki was the one who answered. “Well, Yasuhiro-chan left here to go and see Makoto-chan and Kyouko-chan went with him. Apparently he’s in a spare room upstairs. Togami-chan, Touko-chan, and Aoi-chan are still with Mikan-chan in Hajime-chan’s room. They haven’t been there for too long. Oh, but Yasuhiro-chan said something about a Monokuma kid?”

Mahiru’s eyes widened. She couldn’t believe she had forgotten the small girl in the Monokuma mask – Akane’s sister. “Right. Did he say where she was?”

“He said she was in another of the rooms upstairs. The one to the right of the communication room,” Sonia said, eyebrows raised. “Why? What is this about, Koizumi-san?”

Mahiru stood up, already moving towards the door. “It’s a bit hard to explain, but I need Owari-san to come with me. Don’t worry, it’ll make sense in a little bit.”

Akane shrugged, not bothered with having to leave. “Alright, just as long as the rest of you don’t eat all the snacks Kuzuryuu or Pekoyama bring back. I need to eat, y’know! I’m starving, so this better not take long.” She looked back at Nekomaru, who was sitting in the corner. “C’mon, Old Man Nidai. You may as well come too.”

Nekomaru didn’t complain, following the two girls into the hallway and up the stairs. They could hear voices coming from the room next to the pod room. Mahiru guessed it was Naegi’s room, but she wasn’t going to intrude. Besides, she had sisters to reunite.

The room the girl was in was just like the other hospital rooms, though this one was a little different with the way it was decorated. There were various pictures and posters with cartoon characters on them plastered on the walls, and there were even glowing stars on the ceiling. It seemed to be the children’s room.

The girl was on the bed, her mask still on as she swung her legs back and forth. She stopped moving when she spotted them.

“Hi,” Mahiru said, sitting next to the girl. “Is it… Would it be possible for you to take that mask off?”

The girl shrugged, but she gripped the bottom of her helmet regardless. It took a bit of effort, but she managed to lift the helmet off, letting her dark hair fall down below her shoulders. Her brown eyes were the exact same shade as Akane’s, and when she smiled at her older sister, it was just like looking at the gymnast herself.

“Hi, sis!”

Akane looked shocked. She stood there with wide eyes, hands in front of her, but she wasn’t still for long. She lurched forward and wrapped her arms around her little sister, and it took Mahiru a few seconds to realize she was crying.

“Midori!” Akane cried. Her sister started to cry too. “I thought you were gone or dead or something, I don’t know! How did you get here?”

Midori refused to let go of her sister, clinging onto her arm as the older girl sat on the other side of her. “Well, the last thing I remembered was talking to this one kid. He had blue hair, I dunno. And then I had the helmet on. The next thing I remember, I was in that airplane thing. What’s it called?”

“The blimp?” Mahiru supplied.

Midori nodded. “Yes, that! And I was looking at this girl a bit older than me and she was in a wheelchair and had green hair, right? And she said that I shouldn’t ‘be too pleased with this freedom’, whatever that meant. And then we landed and I saw this lady,” she pointed at Mahiru, “and she had a camera and I was cu-curi-curious! So I looked at it and I saw a picture of you and she asked if I knew you and I said yes and then I wanted to help her so I did.”

“And help she did,” Mahiru said. “She’s the only reason I was able to find the Future Foundation members.”

Akane looked like she was on cloud nine, like no meal Teruteru put before her could compete with what she was feeling right now. “Thanks, Koizumi.”

Mahiru held her hands up. “Hey, it was really by chance that I found her. All I did was pass her along, but you’re welcome anyway.”

Midiori looked at her, grinning wider. “Did everyone get out okay? There were really loud noises while I was coming here. And what’s your name? I didn’t get your name.”

“They did for the most part,” Mahiru said, her own lips curling into a smile. This little girl’s smile was infectious. “And I’m Koizumi Mahiru. It’s nice to meet you.”

“I’m Owari Midori!” Midori said, jumping up and finally letting go of her sister. She wandered over to Nekomaru, staring up at him. He was much taller than her and she didn’t seem intimidated by him at all. “Who’s this? Is this your boyfriend, sis? He looks tough!”

Akane smiled, drying her eyes as Nekomaru laughed and picked Midori up. The little girl squealed with delight at being up so high. “I like this girl! I’m Nidai Nekomaru.”

Feeling as if she was suddenly trespassing, Mahiru slipped out of the room, the smile not leaving her face. Even if it had been a coincidence, she was glad that she was able to bring Akane and her sister together. They had been through so much in the past couple of hours that they all needed a pick-me-up.

Mahiru went back downstairs only to come face-to-face with Mikan. She looked nervous and flustered, almost walking into the photographer. She jumped back in time with a shriek, however, and began to apologize.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry!” she said, raising her hands in a prayer stance. “I was distracted, I’m sorry!”

Mahiru shook her head. “It’s fine, Tsumiki-san. You’re preoccupied. Is everything alright, though?”

“Yes, of – oh! You may now see Souda-san. He should wake up soon, but I’m not sure.” She laughed a little. “It’s a bit funny. When I said that to him when you were unconscious he went in there and wouldn’t leave.” She stopped, a look of terror on her face. “D-Did I say something wrong? I did, didn’t I?! It’s none of my business!”

“It’s okay, Tsumiki-san, really. You’re not prying at all,” Mahiru said, giving what she hoped was a reassuring smile. “Thanks for telling me, though. I’ll go right in.”

With one last smile, Mahiru walked to Kazuichi’s room. She had to stop herself from running all the way over there in glee, but she somehow managed it, and when she opened the door she was as calm as anything. The light was off, probably to help him sleep, and so she didn’t bother turning them on. There was enough light streaming in from outside for her to see.

She sat in a chair by the window, the one closest to the bed. It was strange to see Kazuichi so still, lying as stiff as a board. She was used to him being so animated and funny, there for her when she needed him most. Now it was her turn to be there for him.

Not wanting to focus on him, she decided to look around the room. There were various little machines around as well as a laptop closed and charging on the bedside table. Looking closer, something caught her eye. Something was sticking out of the laptop, something like a piece of paper. Curious, she slid it out, only to realize it wasn’t a piece of paper at all.

It was a photograph. One of her. It was the same as the rest of her polaroids, so she could only assume it was taken with her camera. She was lying in her own bed asleep, wearing the same dress she had been at the engagement party. No wonder she didn’t remember him taking it. She had been completely intoxicated.

Even so, she couldn’t find herself hating it. Yes, she was definitely going to scold him for taking a picture of her, but it was endearing that he had at the same time. Why he had kept it, she didn’t know. Probably to make sure she didn’t tear it to shreds as soon as she saw it. She laughed at the thought, trying to be as quiet as possible.

Apparently she wasn’t quiet enough, as Kazuichi’s eyes flickered open at the sound of her laugh. She stopped immediately, worried that she had woken him up. Hoping he would go back to sleep, she stayed as still as possible, trying not to be noticed. It didn’t work, for as soon as he looked to his right, he saw her and grinned.

“Hey.”

Knowing she’d been caught, she let herself relax, but her face hardened. “You scared the absolute hell out of me, you know.”

Kazuichi groaned. “Why do I get this feeling of déjà vu?”

“Because I keep worrying about you, you idiot,” Mahiru huffed, crossing her arms. “There was an explosion, if that wasn’t obvious. Most of us were okay, but you were injured and Tanaka broke his leg. Other than that we were all fine.”

“That explains why I feel like shit,” he said, shifting around. The movement only made him wince. “What happened after that?”

She shrugged. “Monaka escaped in her airship. Sonia-san and I rode in the tank with you and Tanaka to get you to the hospital and Tsumiki-san took care of you guys from there. It’s only been about three hours since you got here. Your wounds aren’t that deep, but you’ll probably feel sore for a while. And don’t swear.”

He smiled but didn’t argue. “And Hinata? How’s he doing?”

“He seems to be okay,” she said. “We’re just making sure because, you know. _Monaka_. I still can’t believe she got away.”

“Can we talk about her later? I just woke up. Now is not the time to talk about the children of Satan.”

The two of them laughed at the joke and Mahiru uncrossed her arms, meaning she was no longer hiding the picture. She blinked as she remembered it. “Oh, yeah, what’s with this?”

Kazuichi laughed nervously. At least he was on the path to recovery. “Well, you wouldn’t let me take a picture of you on the night, and like I said, it was a waste. I saw an opportunity and I took it. Besides, I think I’m owed. I mean, I _did_ make you that camera.”

She rolled her eyes. “Alright, whatever. I won’t be too mean since you’re hospitalized.” Her gaze softened. “You really did scare me, though. I didn’t know what was going on. Then I heard Sonia-san scream and then I just… I was covered in blood. Yours, FYI. A perfectly good dress, completely ruined. Sonia-san didn’t get a drop of it since she was driving.”

“I would have loved to see Sonia-san driving that tank,” he said with a laugh.

This only made her frown. A feeling of discomfort pooled in her chest and stomach and she looked down. She knew this feeling. She hated this feeling. She didn’t know she would be able to feel this on the island, but here they were. Feeling guilty, she looked down at her feet, her camera, anywhere but Kazuichi’s face.

Noticing her change in demeanour, his laughter subsided. “Hey, what’s wrong?”

She tried to give him a look of exasperation, but she wasn’t sure if it really worked. “Nothing, Kazuichi. You just worry too much.”

He didn’t buy it. “Mahiru, please.”

She stayed quiet for a bit, wondering whether she should or shouldn’t, but curiosity got the best of her. “I thought you had a crush on Sonia-san?”

“I – what?” he asked, sitting up. Once he absorbed her question, he looked like he wanted to laugh. “That was… It’s gone. I dunno, I just kinda accepted the fact that she liked Tanaka and it was easy sailing from there. Why are you asking all of a sudden?”

Although she had expected the question, she didn’t want to answer it. “I was just wondering, since you were talking about her. That’s all. Seriously, though, are you alright sitting up like that?”

“I’m fine, mother,” he said, attitude beginning to show.

Before she could come up with a sassy retort, she yawned. Checking the clock, she saw that it was going on ten. While she usually didn’t go to sleep so early, it had been a big day for all of them. They were all physically and emotionally drained.

“I should go to bed,” she said. “Get out of your hair and all that.”

She started to leave, but she was stopped by a call of, “Wait!”

She looked back at him, watching as he covered his face with his hands. “You… You don’t have to go, you know. You can stay here. I’d prefer it if someone was here with me. I mean, who knows what’ll happen to me? An injured man, left alone…”

“Are you implying you’re going to die in the middle of the night, Souda Kazuichi?” Mahiru accused, yet she sat back in the chair anyway. “Fine, I’ll stay. I’ll just sleep on the chair. Not like I’ve been fighting Monokumas one after another.” She paused. “Oh, are you hungry? Hanamura didn’t make dinner but I can get some snacks.”

Kazuichi’s stomach answered for him. “Yeah, that’d be great.”

Her own stomach yelling at her, she left her camera on the bedside table and went down to the kitchen. Peko and Fuyuhiko must have returned to Gundam’s room as they were no longer around, but that was fine with her. She would catch up with them later. What she needed now were some crackers, maybe even some chocolate. Why not have both?

Once she’d found a block of chocolate and a mostly full box of biscuits, she headed back up the stairs, stopping short once she saw Sonia standing in the hallway.

“Ah, Koizumi-san! You will be looking after Souda-san, I presume?” she asked as Mahiru approached.

Mahiru’s eyes flickered between the princess and the food in her hands. “Uh, yeah. I mean, I’m just repaying the favour.”

Sonia gave her a soft smile, one you would expect from an old friend or even a mother who understood what her child was trying to say without them saying a word. “Koizumi-san, you _do_ know what is happening, do you not?”

Mahiru didn’t like where this was going. “Um, what do you mean?”

“When Souda-san was injured, you reacted in the same way I did when I saw Gundam. Do you see that?” Sonia said. “I could see it all over your face and it was all in your tone when you were screaming.” Her face lit up. “It’s just like the old fashioned dramas!”

Mahiru almost choked on air. “What? Hey, I was concerned for him because we’ve become close friends. He would do the same if I was in his position. Kazuichi –”

“That’s another thing!” Sonia interjected, eyes still alight. “You two are even on a first name basis now. Plus he was in your room that time I told you about Monaka’s ship. You are inseparable. ‘Attached at the hip’ as they say!”

Sonia was very excited, judging by the way she was jumping on the balls of her feet, but Mahiru still couldn’t believe it. She hadn’t after Kirigiri had hinted her towards it, and this time wasn’t going to be any different. At least she thought that was the case.

Maybe it was far too late for that.

“Sonia-san…” The princess looked at her expectantly. “I don’t know. I mean, a lot just happened and he’s hurt. It’s been a long day.”

The warm smile spread across Sonia’s features once more. “I’m not saying it has to be tonight, Koizumi-san. I just wanted you to be aware. I care for my friends and with the situation we are in right now I want all of you to be happy. You gave me advice with Gundam, remember? Well, I am returning the favour.”

Mahiru stood there, hands shaking as Sonia bowed and disappeared into Gundam’s room. She stared for a few seconds before slowly walking towards Kazuichi’s room, noticing that she had left the door open. The two of them hadn’t been speaking too loudly, but she could never be sure. If she had known something like this was going to happen she would have shut the door on her way out.

“I come bearing chocolate and biscuits,” she said as she walked through the doorway, shutting the door with her elbow.

Kazuichi was practically beaming as she set the plates on his bed. “Yes! You’re a lifesaver, Mahiru!”

“They’re just snacks, Kazuichi,” she said, though she could feel the warmth of her face. “It took me two seconds to get them.”

“You’re right. You probably spent most of your time talking to Sonia-san.”

Mahiru stopped mid-chew, lowering her piece of chocolate and looking Kazuichi straight in the eyes. “You heard that?”

Kazuichi didn’t look at her. “It was kind of hard not to with my door open. You guys were quiet, yeah, and I don’t have Ibuki-san’s crazy good sense of hearing, but I was able to hear you guys.”

The two fell into silence. Usually their silences were comfortable, but this time there was an awkward atmosphere. Both of them was waiting for the other to say something, to bring up the topic neither had the courage to. Mahiru wanted to, she really did, but she didn’t know what to say. This wasn’t a confrontation where she would become angry and argue. This was something different entirely and she didn’t know how to feel about it.

“Me being hurt doesn’t matter,” he finally said.

Her eyes skimmed his face, searching for his motives. She found nothing. “What do you mean? Of course it matters!”

He brought his hands to his face, rubbing his eyes in frustration. “No, I mean, it matters, but… It’s not like I’m seriously tired or I’m so injured that I can’t have a proper conversation. Though something tells me you probably wouldn’t have brought this up ever.”

She wanted to say that he was wrong and prove to him that she wasn’t as predictable as he thought, but she didn’t. She knew just as well as he did that she would have pretended to lean on the fence about the topic forever, avoiding it until it was no longer an issue, when they were no longer in contact. She didn’t want to think about a time where they were all separated.

“I’m… It’s not that I don’t want to…” She let her head fall into her hands, trying to make the frustration go away. She wasn’t normally this incoherent. “I’m just really, _really_ bad at this.”

Warm hands enveloped her wrists, tugging her hands from her face gently. “Hey, Mahiru. Maybe you’ll feel better if you get some sleep, yeah? I’ll be fine on my own.”

She looked at him, apprehensive. “Are you sure?”

He gave her a nod. “Yeah. Go on. It’s been a long day.”

Part of her didn’t want to leave, but both her body and mind were exhausted. She needed her own bed. “Alright.” She stood up and ambled to the door, pausing in the doorway. “Goodnight, Kazuichi.”

As she closed the door, she heard a soft, “Goodnight.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Akane = deep red. Midori = green. SEE WHAT I DID THUURRRR.
> 
> Okay, but seriously, there should be a few answers to all the Monaka stuff in the next chapter, so look forward to that!


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What am I even doing anymore.

Mahiru was eager for breakfast the following morning. She had only eaten a few pieces of chocolate in the past twenty or so hours and she was ready for Teruteru’s fantastic cooking once more. To her dismay, he wasn’t cooking when she entered the dining room. Instead, he was sitting at the table looing exhausted.

He wasn’t the only one there, though. All the Future Foundation members save for Naegi were present at the table, as were Fuyuhiko and Peko who smiled at her as she walked in. She smiled back as she took a seat.

“Is something the matter?” she asked once she was comfortable.

Kirigiri shook her head. “No, not really. We just want to go over everything that happened, tie up some loose ends. Each of us holds a piece of the story and we all need to be on the same page so we’re holding a quick meeting to get it out of the way.”

Mahiru’s forehead creased as she frowned. “Right now? I mean, wouldn’t it be better to wait for Naegi? And Kazuichi and Tanaka aren’t fit to be up right now, let alone Hinata – at least I think – and Komaeda. What happened to Komaeda, anyway?”

“Would you stop talking?” Togami said, hardly looking her way. “Tsumiki is currently retrieving the breeder and the mechanic. The other three won’t be participating in this discussion.”

As much as she would have loved to argue with Togami, she didn’t have the energy to. Everything from yesterday was still hovering over her like a storm cloud. There were many things she didn’t understand, and she knew the contents of her camera would confuse everyone even more. That wasn’t what concerned her the most, however. There was the condition of Naegi and Hajime, of course, but then there was Nagito. What had happened to him?

“Sorry we’re late.” Nekomaru’s voice broke her away from her thoughts. “We slept in later than usual.”

Asahina leaned on her chair, a donut in one hand. “It’s fine, Nidai-san. Everything was so hectic yesterday, so you guys totally deserve a sleep in.”

Nekomaru moved out of the way as Akane moved downstairs. She wasn’t as energetic as usual, though she was probably holding back for Midori, who was holding her hand with a big smile on her face. In spite of everything that had happened, that little girl wasn’t perturbed. Maybe it was simply because she didn’t realize the severity of the situation, but Mahiru concluded that it didn’t matter. Ignorance could most definitely be bliss.

Ibuki came in next, her usual chirpy self despite the circumstance, and sat beside Togami, much to his annoyance. It was after she said her good mornings that noises were heard from upstairs. Sonia was the first to appear, though she was only one contributor to the commotion.

“Come on, Gundam, it isn’t that bad,” Sonia called.

Gundam grumbled as he ambled downstairs, crutches underneath each arm. “This is rather unbecoming, my Lady of Darkness. At least I can walk on my own.”

The last sentence was directed to someone behind him and was answered with an annoyed, “Hey!”

Mahiru’s stomach lurched at Kazuichi’s voice. The previous night’s conversation replayed in her head and she couldn’t help but look down as Kazuichi entered via wheelchair, Mikan pushing him down the stairs quite forcefully. If she hadn’t been so focused on avoiding his gaze she probably would have laughed.

“Now that everyone’s here, let’s get this started, shall we?” Togami said as everyone settled around the table. “Since we are not entirely sure what was happening ourselves, please start from the beginning.”

The beginning. Komaru’s message. Mahiru would be the best one to explain that. “I was walking near the pod room when I heard a girl trying to contact us via the communication room. It was Naegi’s sister, I’m assuming? Naegi Komaru. She told us that you had gone missing and that Monaka had taken you hostage. She wanted Hinata to become Kamakura Izuru again.”

“Komaru-san said she thought you were in some sort of aircraft and so I asked the people of Novoselic to send a search team. They found the blimp you were in and confirmed that you were coming our way,” Sonia said. “Then we created a plan. Or, rather, Komaeda-san did. He was always good at that.”

Hagakure let out a low whistle. “And you just trusted him? Damn.”

Fuyuhiko glared at him. “Hey, if it wasn’t for most of his plan you wouldn’t be here right now, wise guy.”

Before an argument could break out, Kirigiri intervened. “So what was this plan?”

“We knew Monaka would want to speak to Hinata. Komaeda refused to let him go alone, though we could all tell he was just curious about the demon child,” Gundam said, fiddling with one of his crutches. “They would meet her at the airport and go somewhere else to converse. Koizumi and Hanamura were to lie in wait until the coast was clear so they could enter the lion’s den and free you. Tsumiki was to stay here at the hospital while the rest of us were stationed on the different islands.”

Mahiru debated bringing up what Hajime had asked her to do. She would have preferred everyone to be present while she told them, but it didn’t seem like that was going to happen now. “Actually, I had another job.”

“You did not speak of this, Koizumi-san,” Peko said. “Who gave you this task?”

Feeling like she was being reprimanded, Mahiru looked down. “It was Hinata. He asked me to go in and take photos of anything I found important. It makes sense, considering I’m the photographer. The only people who knew about this was Hinata, myself, and Hanamura.”

“So what happened with you two?” Kirigiri asked. “We would ask what happened with Hinata and Komaeda, but we can’t. You and Hanamura were the only other two active at the time.”

Teruteru leaned over the table, trying to make his presence large considering his small stature. “I immediately went off to look for you two while Koizumi-san stayed in the main room of the blimp – well, it can’t be called that now, can it? – to take pictures. I didn’t find anything, though.”

“You guys were able to get in just like that?” Fuyuhiko asked.

Mahiru shook her head. “Not exactly. Monaka left these two guards, there, standing beside this sign with something written on it. They found us, but they didn’t attack. Instead they just asked us – well, they didn’t really speak – to solve a puzzle that was written on the sign and we were allowed inside once we did.”

“These… These guards…” Fukawa’s voice was hesitant. “Were they wearing Monokuma helmets?”

Teruteru blinked. “Yes, madmoselle, why do you ask?”

Fukawa didn’t answer them directly, only muttering something about “Monokuma Kids”.

“Well, after we were inside, we split up just like Hanamura said,” Mahiru continued. “I fiddled around with Monaka’s computer, took some pictures, then found Midori-chan before she led me to you guys.”

Asahina’s legs swung back and forth. She didn’t notice her feet connecting with Hagakure’s, though he didn’t seem too bothered. “Wait, so how did Midori-chan get in there then?”

“Huh? Oh, I was one of the Monokuma Kids,” the young girl answered, a bright smile on her face.

The Future Foundation members all turned to look at her, Fukawa looking like she was going to foam at the mouth as she screeched, “What?!”

Midori didn’t seem bothered by their reaction. She told them the same story she had recounted to her sister and Nekomaru the previous night, starting from when the helmet was put on her and ending when she was taken to the hospital. While Akane had been relieved and not bothered by the story last night, the Future Foundation members didn’t look so happy.

“Monaka intentionally gave you control over your actions?” Kirigiri asked, eyes narrowed.

Midori shrugged. “I dunno what she was doing. I’m just telling it like it is.”

Togami’s hand clenched into a fist and Mahiru was worried he was going to bang it on the table before he said, “That girl… I think she knew what you were all trying to do. I think she planned for you to obtain that information. She’s always been the type of girl to announce her plans to the world, yet once you think you know everything there’s another plan to discover. We were just the bait.” He sighed. “What did you find, camera girl?”

“My name is Koizumi Mahiru, not camera girl,” Mahiru said, but she turned her camera on anyway. Everyone gathered around her to have a closer look. “The first thing I found was a hacking program connected to Towa City. We already knew about it, but I took a photo just in case. The second was a sort of video game looking program. It was a silhouetted model of some girl with pigtails and a skirt? Something like that.”

Asahina looked like she was going to be sick. “Pigtails…”

“…and a skirt?” Kirigiri finished, not as uncomfortable as her peers. “I’m not too surprised. She did idolize her, after all.”

They didn’t sound like they were going to discuss the matter openly, so Mahiru continued. “The last one was a written document. Or typed, should I say. It was a bunch of lists. Three of them. One had all our names other than you Future Foundation guys. Every single one of us involved in the simulation was on there with the exception of Nanami-san, but that’s to be expected.”

“And the other two lists?” Togami asked impatiently.

Mahiru glared at him. “I’m getting to it, alright? Both had names I didn’t really recognize and the preview screen of this camera is tiny so I can’t just show you. From memory the first list had… There was one name I remember, something like Utsugi Kotoko?”

Fukawa stumbled back into her seat with a loud thumping noise. “What? Are you sure?”

“Yes, I’m sure,” Mahiru hissed. She hated people second guessing her. “You can check on the picture once I connect it to a computer. The last list had heading that said ‘To Be Included’. I don’t remember all the names, but there were two that stood out since they were underlined. Ikusaba Mukuro and Fujisaki Chihiro.”

The Future Foundation members exchanged worried glances. Asahina in particular looked like she was about to cry and Togami was even more furious than before.

“That… That isn’t good in the slightest,” was all Kirigiri said.

“Well, obviously,” Kazuichi said, rolling his eyes. “Nothing that demon spawn does is good. Do you guys have any idea of what it means, though?”

Mahiru could tell Kirigiri’s mind was turning. “Yes… I have a vague idea of what she’s planning, but I can’t be sure, and I most definitely shouldn’t underestimate her. She let us find all these things, and I’m sure it’s a distraction.”

“A d-distraction?” Mikan asked, twiddling her thumbs. “What from?”

Realization flashed in Kirigiri’s eyes. “Hinata. She’s trying to distract us from Hinata. Komaeda can’t tell us what’s happening. I’m not sure he even knows himself. I think she got what she came for and that’s why she left so readily. What I want to know is what exactly she did to Hinata.”

Mikan stood up abruptly, her chair knocking over and banging into Fukawa’s in the process. “I-I should do that right now! I didn’t check him over fully last night because it was late and he seemed fine and he was stable and what if I missed something – oh no, no, no –”

“Tsumiki-san!” Asahina gripped the nurse’s shoulders. “Please calm down. We don’t expect you to be on top of everything under the circumstances, okay? We can do all your nurse stuff now, but take a deep breath, okay?”

Mikan nodded but didn’t speak, breathless as Asahina slowly guided her upstairs. Everyone watched her go before all eyes returned to the remaining Future Foundation members. Fukawa was more agitated than usual and Togami was glaring at his abandoned cup of coffee like he wanted to shatter it. Hagakure looked confused and Kirigiri was deep in thought. It didn’t appear as if they would have any answers soon.

“Um, if I may ask, what happened to Naegi-san?” Sonia asked. “We know he is okay for the most part, but how did he become so ill in the first place?”

Hagakure leaned against the table. “Naegs was caught trying to contact his little sis, so Monaka decided to teach him a lesson or something. I dunno, dude. It was some kind of poison needle thing. He’s ‘kay now though.”

Everyone fell into a silence once more, thoughts and information swirling around the room. A cough made them all snap back into reality. Kazuichi looked sheepish as he said, “Uh, so now that Tsumiki’s gone and all, how am I supposed to get around?”

“I’ll push you around,” Mahiru said, turning her camera off. “These guys need my camera for the moment anyway, so it’s not like I have anything else to do.”

She also wanted to speak to him alone, but no one else needed to know that.

Kazuichi grinned. “Awesome! I need to go to the fifth island, so come with me, yeah?”

“Well, I said I would, didn’t I?” she said, trying to sound annoyed, but she couldn’t stop the small smile from appearing on her face.

The meeting dispersed after that, everyone leaving to wherever they wished. Mahiru didn’t say a word as she crossed the bridge to the central island and neither did Kazuichi, but he spoke up when they were on the way to island number five.

“We never got breakfast, did we?”

Mahiru hadn’t noticed the absence of food in her stomach until he mentioned it, and she didn’t know whether to be angry with him for mentioning it or the others for insisting on the meeting. It wasn’t like she could just go back and get something. Someone had to push Kazuichi around.

Even without looking at her, he knew what she was thinking. “Don’t worry about it. I still have the chocolate from last night.”

She could tell he was grinning and her smile grew wider.

The fifth island was still new territory for her, so Kazuichi had to guide her. The place was on the far side of the island, so it took a lot of pushing, but it was nothing she couldn’t handle. They stopped in front of a corporation building with faded letters and a rusty door.

“Um, where are we?” she asked, apprehensive as she eyed the building.

“The factory,” Kazuichi said matter-of-factly. “The place won’t bite, you know.”

While she seriously doubted that, she opened the door for the both of them anyway. The interior was eerily similar to Monaka’s airship in terms of colours and materials and it made her shudder. Kazuichi didn’t seem to notice as she wheeled him in, heading over to the desk with a computer and many monitors on and around it.

“What’s all this?” she asked, leaving him in front of the main screen.

Kazuichi pulled a chair closer to him and patted it gently. “Sit down. This is where I work on all my high tech stuff. It’s the building for an old company that used to make machine parts and all that stuff. I use this place as my, um, office? Garage? Workplace? Something like that. I mainly use it for big things, though.”

“If it’s only for big things, why are you working on it now?” she questioned, moving her chair closer to him. “Or _what_ are you working on, rather.”

He typed his password in before replying. “It’s more like _who_ am I working on.”

“You’re not making yourself a robotic girlfriend, are you?”

“What – no!”

She laughed. “I know, I know. I’m just kidding.”

The two fell quiet. Mahiru wondered if she had said something wrong when she realized she mentioned the word ‘girlfriend’. It was the topic she had been trying to both press forward and avoid, an inner battle breaking out between her feelings. Even if she was sure of herself she wouldn’t know what to say.

“Mahiru.”

She looked at him. His eyes were scanning her face slowly, as if they were trying to memorize every detail, every single freckle on her face. She wanted to look away as she flushed in embarrassment, but she couldn’t force herself to look away. It took her a while to realize she was doing the same thing he was.

“Um…” Dammit, she hated not knowing what to say.

He sighed and looked back at the screen. “Don’t worry, you probably don’t want to talk about it.”

It didn’t take a wizard to know what he was referring to. Anger flared within her at his assumptions. “I do, okay?! Most of me does, anyway, because I’m a confrontational person in nature, but the other part doesn’t because…” She lowered her voice. “Because this isn’t the type of thing I’m used to confronting.”

She closed her eyes and waited for him to laugh like all boys did in these situations (not that she knew that firsthand, but still), waited for the ridicule, but none came. When she reopened her eyes he was looking at her with an unreadable expression.

“Was what Sonia-san sad true?” he asked softly. “About your reaction when you saw me after the explosion, I mean.”

She swallowed and nodded. “It was, yeah. I was a complete wreck until Tsumiki-san came out of your room and told us you were okay, actually. I didn’t even notice the blood on me or when the others came back. I was just kind of… I was switched off because I was so terrified.”

“Terrified of what?” he prompted, bringing the wheelchair closer.

“Of losing you.” Her voice was scratchy. Reliving the moments when he was under Tsumiki’s care was hard for her, all of the emotions flooding back. Tears began dripping down her cheeks. “I wasn’t even crying then. I was too tired to.”

Strong arms drew her in as she wiped her tears. It was a little awkward, her halfway between him and her chair. He seemed to notice, standing up against his orders and pulling her towards a torn up couch at the back of the room. His hold on her didn’t break the entire time, which she was thankful for.

“Sorry for all the crying and stuff,” she said lamely, tucking her legs underneath her. “But to answer your question simply: yes, what she said was completely true.”

“No need to apologize,” he said. His hands moved from her arms to her shoulders. “I was the same after what Komaeda did. Maybe less so because I hadn’t really realized what I was feeling then, but still…”

Mahiru laughed, failing to stifle it behind her hand. “I didn’t either. Not until Sonia-san pointed it out to me.”

He paused. “So we both…?”

She nodded. “Yeah.”

He didn’t answer. All he did was wrap his arms around her frame once more. This had a slightly different feel than before, a more intimate one. She slowly returned the embrace, hesitant and soft so she didn’t hurt him, but if he was in any pain he didn’t say anything. Once sure he was comfortable, she relaxed, letting him softly draw circles on her back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> //Throws confetti.
> 
> Somehow this story has given me inspiration for another kind of unrelated but sort of related story. How did this even happen like damn.


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We all knew this was coming.

Mikan wasn’t at dinner, but Naegi was. He still looked pale and he didn’t eat much, but he was present, and that was good enough for the evening. The table was beginning to get cramped with all the Future Foundation members and the addition of Midori, who had just as much of an appetite as her sister. At least they all knew Teruteru’s food would be eaten.

Once everyone was scraping the last few bites of their plates, Naegi spoke.

“So I’ve been speaking to Komaeda-san.”

Everyone paused what they were doing and looked at Naegi expectantly. When all eyes were trained on him he continued. “He would speak to me, at the very least. He’s really shaken up by what happened with Monaka.”

“What _did_ happen with Monaka?” Ibuki asked, mouth half full.

Naegi looked at her as if he wanted to say something, but thought better of it. “Uh, well, Monaka basically told him what he did in Towa. How he helped them and all, giving her ideas and practically serving them. That broke him, in a way. He feels responsible for what happened in Towa and what’s happening to Hinata-san now even though it really isn’t. I mean, not entirely.”

“We all feel guilty for what we did. What makes him any different?” Akane asked, dabbing Midori’s mouth with a napkin.

“His dementia,” Kirigiri said. “Plus, even if he was a hundred per cent healthy, knowing he caused despair in some way would make him feel this way regardless. He’s just reacting as strongly as he is because of his condition.”

Teruteru stood up, beginning to stack the dinner plates. “Is he going to be okay? Well, okay for him, I mean.”

“I don’t think he’ll feel better until Hinata-san’s at least conscious again,” Naegi said with a sigh. “He’s really worried about his condition, but Tsumiki-san is still running her tests. It takes a bit longer since this hospital doesn’t have the top notch equipment they do back in Japan.”

Kazuichi shifted in his seat. “I should work on that.”

“Wait until everyone has woken up,” Peko said. “That would be best, I think. Just in case.”

Naegi nodded. “Regardless, I –”

An ear shattering scream sounded from upstairs. It was high pitched, so it could only belong to Mikan. There were many things that terrified Mikan on a daily basis, but none of them had ever warranted for a reaction like that. Almost simultaneously, everyone stood up and ran towards Hajime’s room.

Hagakure practically forced the door open, though it was already ajar, so he almost stumbled into the bed. Hajime had been lying there until recently, or at least Mahiru had assumed that was the case as she had never actually been inside before. Now the boy was standing in the middle of the room, turned away from all of them, his eyes trained on the trembling body of Mikan, who was against the wall, clipboard abandoned on the floor below her.

“Tsumiki-san, are you alright?!” Asahina asked.

Hajime swivelled to face them and they all took a step back. Mahiru had seen Hajime frustrated and even a little angry before, but the expression he currently held in his now red eyes was one of pure hatred semi-masked by emotionlessness. It was the face of someone who was bored and was about to stir things up, the face of someone who was evil for the sake of it. For something to do. Whatever this person – whoever this was definitely wasn’t Hinata Hajime – wanted was not going to beneficial to the rest of them.

Mahiru shivered. Kazuichi brushed his hand against hers lightly.

Naegi gulped as he stepped forward. “Hello, Kamakura-san.”

The room temperature plummeted. This was Kamakura Izuru? The person Hajime had become during their time at Hope’s Peak? Mahiru felt sick, but she didn’t dare move. She didn’t want to attract attention to herself.

Kamakura lifted his head as if full of pride, but his expression remained the same. It made him look unhinged. He probably was. “Evening, Naegi Makoto. I see your little experiment was a success.”

“It was.” Togami stepped forward. “No thanks to you, of course.”

Kamakura hummed lightly. “Of course not. I just wanted to make things a little less boring. The journey to recovery isn’t supposed to be easy, no?”

No one answered. Everyone was locked in a stare with those gleaming red eyes until someone approached the back of the crowd, voice tentative as they spoke.

“Um, what’s happening?”

Nagito’s innocent tone broke the intensity of the room, just a little, but it soon rose again as they realized he shouldn’t be allowed in the room. If he were to see Kamakura, he might just lose it again, and that was the last thing they needed. Fuyuhiko was the first to act, stepping in front of the white haired boy with a look of determination.

“Nothing, Komaeda. Go back to your room. Rest.”

Nagito regarded him for a moment before looking past him with a shocked expression on his face. Mahiru was worried he’d seen something and apparently Fuyuhiko was too, as he looked around to see what had happened. Sensing his opportunity, Nagito ducked under Fuyuhiko’s arm and ran into the room.

“Komaeda, wai–”

Nagito froze, one hand in front of him. He looked almost cross-eyed as he stared at Kamakura. Mahiru wouldn’t be surprised if he fainted right then and there.

“K-Kamakura…” Nagito’s breathing grew heavy and he clutched his head, knees shaking. “What – how – I’m…”

Kamakura grinned. It was nothing like Hajime’s usual smile, one filled with delight and happiness. This one was the look of a predator who knew he had his prey in his hands. It didn’t look like it belonged on Hajime’s face at all.

“Thank you so much for your service, Komaeda,” he said, spitting Nagito’s name like it was poison. “I couldn’t have been reawakened without you.”

He began to slink his way towards Nagito, who stepped back every time he stepped forward until his back hit the rest of the crowd. All of them were grouped together like a herd of sheep. Kamakura was the wolf about to get them, and there was no shepherd to do anything about it.

Kamakura opened his mouth to speak, but not a sound came out of his mouth. His eyes rolled into the back of head and he fell limp, falling backwards onto the floor. Mikan ran towards him as he started foaming at the mouth, arms flailing, his hands trying to find something to hold onto.

“Is – what’s happening?!” Nekomaru asked, his booming voice masking the panicked noises of the man below.

Red eyes faded to hazel, signalling the end of the torture. Kamakura, now Hajime once again, stopped moving, eyes closing as his head lolled to one side. No one other than Mikan moved for a few seconds, all of them watching the nurse as she checked his vital signs.

“He’s still breathing,” she reported, causing a collective sigh of relief from most of those gathered. “We should get him back to his bed, though.”

She made a move to pick Hajime up, but Togami stopped her by tapping her hand with his foot. It didn’t look like it hurt, but she jumped back in fright regardless, staring at the blonde with wide eyes. “No, don’t put him in his bed. We need somewhere more secure for him.”

“What do you mean?” Sonia asked.

Togami turned to face them all. “Hinata Hajime is changing back to Kamakura Izuru. I thought you could all tell at least that much. That creature is a danger to mankind and will be easier to manage if he is in a sedated state in a place he cannot leave.”

Asahina was apprehensive. “I… Is that…”

“‘Is that the best idea?’ Is that what you’re asking?” Togami said. “I think it’s the only option we have right now. I know all of you will probably jump and down and try and prevent this, but I’m telling you now that it has to happen if you don’t all want to die.”

Naegi stepped beside his colleague. “I agree. I mean, we’re not going to treat him like an animal or a criminal, but he needs to be away from the hospital. Or we do. It’s one or the other. I don’t want to do this, but it’s the only thing we _can_ do. I just want to keep you guys safe.” He looked at Mikan. “We can only do that if we know what’s going on, though, so what did you find when you were testing him?”

Mikan jumped and picked up her clipboard, flipping through the pages. “Y-Yes, of course! Right away! Um, well, everything seems clear for the usual tests, but I tested the brainwaves and found inconsistencies between this test and the one I conducted on him when I first woke up. I think Monaka has triggered the part of his brain that holds, um, Kamakura Izuru…”

“But, but, but, but, but that’s weird, though,” Ibuki said, clutching her guitar strap. “Didn’t you guys say Hajime-chan was cured of his Kamakura-ness?”

Naegi chewed his lip for a second before addressing the question. “Not entirely. The Neo World Program was designed to change what was in your brain, so it changed you mentally. Physically, however, you’re the still the same. That’s why Komaeda-san is still at the stage of dementia he was at right before entering the program – wait, he’s probably even further now. We can change the contents of your brains, but if something inside your body was modified beforehand we couldn’t change it.”

Teruteru rubbed his forehead. “And that means what, exactly? As in, what does that have to do with Hinata?”

“Kamakura Izuru came to be because Hope’s Peak modified his brain by performing _surgery_ ,” Naegi said. “They _physically_ tampered with his brain. We could modify what was inside his brain so he returned to being himself, but if someone were to trigger the changed part of his brain…”

“…He would return to being fucking Kamakura,” Fuyuhiko finished, catching on. “So Monaka exploited that?! What the fuck?! That little shit!” He looked like he wanted to rip Peko’s sword off her back and fight someone with it, but he was restrained by her strong hold.

Naegi nodded. “That’s pretty much what’s happening. I don’t know how Monaka triggered it, but that doesn’t matter right now. What matters is one: finding help for Hinata-san and two: keeping everyone safe. The problem is that everyone is currently in the hospital and Hinata-san needs to be here to receive the best treatment.”

“P-Plus… I would need to stay here – if that’s alright with you of course! I should have asked, I’m sorry!” Mikan said, hiding behind her clipboard. “I mean, what if Byakuya-san and Saionji-san wake up? And I also have medical training to help Hinata-san…”

Asahina leaned against the wall. She looked far too tired. “Yeah, I think it would be best if she stayed here. I’ll stay with her while I’m here. She might need some help.”

Mikan shot her a grateful smile which was returned.

“Well, that’s sorted out,” Togami said. “And where will the rest of us stay?”

“The cottages, perhaps?” Sonia suggested. “There are not as many as there were during the simulation, but I think they’re a bit bigger with multiple beds. We could definitely share if necessary.”

Fukawa darted forward and latched onto Togami’s arm. “I-I’m sharing with my White Knight!”

Togami tried to shake her off as Naegi spoke. “I just wish there was something we could do that could help Hinata-san…”

“There is.”

All movement in the room ceased, everyone’s gaze turning to Kirigiri. She didn’t look at any of them, staring at the floor with her fingers tapping her chin. Mahiru had been around her enough to know that she was deep in thought.

“Well, what is it?!” Kazuichi asked impatiently.

Kirigiri looked up at them all. Even Fukawa and Togami were paying attention now. “We did it once and we can do it again,” was all she said.

It took him a few seconds, but Naegi soon understood. “Wait, you mean… You want to put him back in the Neo World Program?”

“Well, it can be done. We both know that, Naegi,” Kirigiri said, a hint of condescension in her tone, though it was nothing compared to the voice she used with Togami. “It’s because he was Kamakura that he was put in that state in the first place. We did it once and it worked. It can work again.”

Naegi still looked disappointed. “We can’t do it immediately, though.”

“Huh? Why not?” Akane asked.

Naegi looked her straight in the eye. “Because you can’t start a simulation without ending the current one first. If you do that, the feed to the people still connected is cut off and one of two things could happen: they wake up but they are reverted back to where they were in the beginning or they stop functioning.”

“Uh… In Japanese, please?” Fuyuhiko said.

Naegi couldn’t meet their gaze. “If we start a new simulation for Hinata-san, Imposter-san and Saionji-san will either wake up as their despair selves or… or they’ll die. One of the two. Either outcome is possible.”

Mahiru’s brain didn’t register what he said for a few seconds, but when it did she wanted to collapse. She wanted to wake up from this dream. She wanted to pinch herself, pray to anyone that was listening that this wasn’t real and that her best friend wasn’t in danger, but she knew the truth. Real life was cruel, and this was yet another example of it.

Before she could stop herself, she let out a croaky, “No.”

She didn’t back down when the others looked at her, nor when Sonia looked at her with pity. “Koizumi-san, I –”

“I said no!” she shouted. The force in her voice was enough to make Mikan cry out and Midori to jump back into her sister’s arms. “You’re not doing that. Not to Byakuya-san or…” Her voice broke. “Or to Hiyoko-chan. You’re not doing that.”

Kazuichi placed his hand on her arm. “Mahiru –”

“No!” Her voice was higher than she would have liked. “I don’t care, just leave me alone!”

She spun on her heel and ran out of the room, speeding down the hallway and ignoring the calls of those behind her.

 

* * *

 

The cottages were comfortable, bigger and less plain, but Mahiru didn’t care about any of it. The only thing she was looking at was her pillow, and even that looked blurry through her tears. After running out of the hospital, she had run to the hotel to get a key before flinging herself into the cottage it belonged to. She wanted to cry by herself, and she knew by now that she would need to apologize later, but right now she just wanted to sob into her pillow. Her pillow wouldn’t tell her that Hiyoko was going to die.

She didn’t know how much time had passed before she heard voices. It had to be the others, she concluded, and even though the blinds were closed she didn’t want to risk it. Shimmying under the sheets, she pulled them over her head, blocking out the small flickers of light that remained. Her room was dark and so was the sky outside. That was how she wanted it.

_Knock, knock._

She tensed, closing her eyes.

“Mahiru… If you don’t open the door then I’m coming in.”

She didn’t bother getting up. Kazuichi was going to come inside either way. He may as well do it himself.

There was a click and a creak as the door unlocked and opened. It was shut a second later, followed by some shuffling sounds before the weight on the bed increased. He was close enough to pull the blankets off, but he didn’t.

“Mahiru, are you okay?”

She snorted.

“Okay, okay, right, stupid question,” he said. He began to laugh at himself but trailed off awkwardly when she didn’t join in. “Please take the sheets off.”

“No.”

He sighed in relief despite her negative answer. “At least you’ll talk to me.” He paused. “We decided we’re not going to do anything. Naegi said he wouldn’t do anything about the Neo World Program without your permission. Well, yours and Ibuki’s, since apparently she’s supposed to be Byakuya’s guardian when he wakes up. Ibuki said she’s thinking about it, but she doesn’t really want to either. We can all see it. And I mean, you were pretty sure of yourself back there, so…”

Mahiru shifted the sheets so she was looking up at him. He smiled slightly when he saw her. “So… They’re not going to do anything, right? What are they doing instead?”

Kazuichi shrugged. “I dunno yet. The Future Foundation members are gonna talk it over with Tsumiki-san – since she’s the medical professional – and try and figure something out. Some alternatives.” His voice softened. “No one wants Byakuya or Saionji to die, Mahiru. After you left, Kuzuryuu had some words to say about it, let me tell you. Sonia-san was also pretty PO’ed. You’re not alone in this.”

The sheets came down completely this time. Mahiru sat up and dried her eyes, looking away in embarrassment. She didn’t want him to see how red her eyes were. He didn’t push her, letting her be silent until she was ready to speak.

“Wait.” Her nose scrunched as she looked at the key in his hand. “How did you get a key?”

Kazuichi laughed. “There’s another bed in here, you know.” He pointed to the other side of the room where a bed sat, completely untouched. “So there’s two keys. One for each person. Simple. Oh, I brought you some clothes, by the way.”

He reached behind him and passed her a pile of clothes. “I figured you’d need them. I mean, since you came here without stopping by your room.” He shrugged. “I don’t know.”

She held the clothes close to her and smiled. “Thanks. Sorry for running out earlier. I’ll need to apologize tomorrow morning.”

“Don’t worry about it,” he said, waving his hands in dismissal. “Everyone understands. Kirigiri said everything kind of unfeeling-like and all that. You know how she is. In any case she says she’s sorry. She comes across that way naturally, I think. Detectives always have to be cold and in the zone or something, I guess.”

Mahiru remembered Kirigiri’s sly smiles at the engagement party. It seemed so long ago now. “I wouldn’t say all the time.”

He rose his eyebrows, but didn’t say anything more about it. He stood up stretching. “In any case, I think we should sleep. Or you should sleep. You look really tired.”

She covered her face. “Ugh, whatever. I’m going to have a shower. Walk in on me and you’re dead.”

He laughed, though relief was clearly visible on his face. She assumed it had to do with her being back to normal, whatever normal meant nowadays. “Wouldn’t dream of it.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DUN DUN DUN!
> 
> I'm really tired right now and it's only like three in the afternoon what is my life right now I'm gonna nap. //Passes out at keyboard.


	17. Chapter 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It goes from 0 to 100 rEAL QUICK.

Mahiru was one of the last to breakfast that morning, the other being Kazuichi who had waited for her. She had demanded that he stay outside while she changed and got ready, not wanting him to see her right after waking up, even though he had done so numerous times.

Everyone was in the hotel, the one they all came to know as Hotel Mirai. It brought back a flood of memories, and she wasn’t sure whether it was a good or bad thing. She didn’t like the constant worrying over her every move during the simulation, but at least they hadn’t needed to face the trouble and destruction they had caused in the real world.

“Koizumi-san!” Sonia called out to her, having spotted her first. She bowed, her hair flipping over and touching the floor. “I am so sorry for our incompetence yesterday. We were not thinking.”

Mahiru was slightly taken aback. “Uh… No, it’s okay. You guys didn’t do anything. All you did was tell us the options.”

No one said anything to her until she was seated and already eating. Kazuichi refused to leave her side, but he couldn’t be everywhere, and so he couldn’t do anything when Kirigiri slid into the seat next to her. She waited until swallowing before greeting the lavender haired girl.

“Good morning, Kirigiri-san.”

Kirigiri smiled softly. “I just want to apologize to you properly. I didn’t mean to upset you yesterday. I was only responding to the situation with an idea.”

Mahiru shook her head. “Don’t worry about it, Kirigiri-san. I overreacted.”

“As long as you’re sure.”

Breakfast was quick. Everyone wanted to hear what Naegi and the others had decided. Not that they could actually decide anything without consent from the caregivers, but they needed to wrap their minds around everything nonetheless. Yesterday had been a shock, but that didn’t mean they could stop functioning normally.

Naegi cleared his throat, gaining everyone’s attention. “I know you’re all aware of what happened yesterday and we spoke about it. Tsumiki-san and Asahina-san are in the hospital right now, but they’re aware of all we’re going to say. Basically, our best bet would be putting Hinata-san in the Neo World Program again, but the question is whether we wait for Saionji-san and Imposter-san to wake up or not.”

Mahiru’s fists clenched. Kazuichi draped one of his hands over them, giving them a gentle squeeze.

“The problem is that Saionji and the Imposter could wake up any time,” Togami continued. “It could be tomorrow, it could be next month, it could be next year. We don’t know. We don’t know whether it’s a good idea to take that chance. Kamakura is far more dangerous.”

As much as she wanted to deny that, Mahiru knew she couldn’t. Kamakura was more powerful than any of them, and it was all Hope’s Peak’s fault. That was the tragedy of it all. Hajime had admired Hope’s Peak more than anyone else, other than Nagito, perhaps. That was why he was chosen. His feelings were taken advantage of and it backfired horribly.

“But can’t you keep Hinata, Kamakura, or whatever his name is unconscious until he can be treated?” Teruteru asked.

“That’s what we’re doing right now,” Kirigiri said. “We all know the difference between Hinata-kun and Kamakura appearance-wise. As soon as he begins turning into Kamakura Tsumiki-san and Asahina-san will sedate him. It doesn’t sound good, but it’s the only thing we can do at the moment.”

Everyone fell silent, looking anywhere other than each other. Sonia spoke up. “Is there any other way? Like an antidote?”

“Monaka might have one,” Togami said, voice gruff. “She’d never give it to us, of course, and she wouldn’t be so careless as to leave it lying around unless she wanted us to find it. She wouldn’t tell anyone either.”

“Unless…”

Mahiru thought she had imagined Fukawa’s shaky voice, but the look on her face told her otherwise. “Th-There… There are four others… They might, um, they might know something. Anything.”

Hagakure leaned back. “You don’t mean…”

“Y-Yes…”

Fuyuhiko’s eyes flickered between the two of them, confusion etched on his face. “Care to fill the rest of us in? Or are we just gonna stay in the fucking dark?”

“She’s talking about the Warriors of Hope,” Hagakure said.

From the end of the table, Nagito visibly sensed.

Naegi noticed, but carried on regardless. “Monaka used to be the leader of a team. No, it wasn’t a team. Not really. I think I mentioned them while explaining Monaka’s ties to Towa City, but they were all part of Hope’s Peak’s elementary school branch. The four we’re talking about were pretty much at Monaka’s beckon call. She was horrible to them and was willing to let them die. They all survived and did a one-eighty. They refuse to have anything to do with Monaka now, but they might know something about this antidote. If there is one.”

“Okay, so how do we contact them?” Peko asked.

The Future Foundation members all looked at Fukawa. “I-I think they’ll respond better to Komaru then to me…”

If Naegi was concerned about his sister being thrown into the situation, he didn’t show it. “Okay, I’ll leave contacting them to you, Fukawa-san. We’ll go through that line of inquiry first. In the meantime, please keep away from the hospital. We want all of you to be safe.”

Mahiru’s heart throbbed. She had wanted to visit Hiyoko, if only for her own piece of mind, but that wouldn’t happen now.

Once the meeting was adjourned, everyone ran off to do their own thing. Mahiru stayed at the table for a little while, not knowing where to go now that her plans were ruined. Kazuichi was in charge of helping Teruteru clean up, so she decided to wait for him. It was her best bet.

When he left the kitchen, he seemed surprised to see her sitting there, but the grin soon returned to his face. “Waiting, are we?”

“Yes, yes,” she said, hitting him playfully as she stood up. “I was going to visit Hiyoko-chan, but since we can’t go to the hospital my plans have been ruined. I figured you’d figure out something for us to do.”

Kazuichi shrugged. “I was just gonna go back to that factory and work for a bit. Normal stuff. Nothing too interesting.”

“I’m still coming with you,” she said. She didn’t want to admit that she liked watching him work, but she knew he would soon figure it out anyway. He had a way of reading her. “Besides, just because you’re not stuck in a wheelchair anymore doesn’t mean you’re completely fit to walk long distances. You might need me.”

He only laughed. “Right, right.”

The sun was shining brightly, so the walk to the fifth island was a pleasant one. Kazuichi seemed fit enough to go the whole way, but she couldn’t help but notice how he slowed down slightly halfway to the island. It wasn’t too bad, but she grabbed his arm. Just in case.

The factory really did block out the natural light, the artificial lights not providing nearly as much as the sun. It was a shame, but Mahiru found that she didn’t mind as much as she expected to. Kazuichi’s jumpsuit was bright enough to illuminate Tokyo in its entirety, after all.

“So how long until this project of yours is finished?” she asked as she settled on the couch at the back. Despite its scruffy exterior, she liked it, and she blushed as she realized why. “Not to rush you, of course. Just wondering.”

Kazuichi didn’t look at her, his eyes glued to the screen. “Phase one will be done in a little bit. Probably today if I’m here long enough.”

Mahiru laid down, back against the couch’s so she could watch him. “Phase one? So there’s more than just what you’re doing on the computer right now?”

“Well, I thought it was pretty obvious.” He did look at her this time, showing his toothy grin. “I’m a mechanic, not some kind of genius programmer, y’know.”

“Excuse me for not knowing every single detail about your talent,” she said, fiddling with her camera strap. “So what are you going to be making? And what does the computer have to do with it?”

He swivelled in his chair so he was facing neither the computer nor her, a kind of middle ground. “I guess I can show you. Come here.” He beckoned for her to move closer.

When she sat down and pulled her chair in as far as it would go, he typed a few things on the keyboard. He didn’t speak, minimizing and opening programs until he found the one he was looking for. It was similar to the one Monaka had on her own laptop, the one where there was a silhouette of the pigtailed girl, but this one wasn’t so secretive. The person, or model, on the side of the screen was in full colour, making it easy to recognize her.

“Nanami-san?” Mahiru asked, blinking to make sure she had seen correctly.

Kazuichi nodded. “Yep. I’m rebuilding her. Remember how I said she only existed in the simulation?”

“Yeah…” she said, tone uneasy as she wondered where he was going with this.

“Well, once we all kinda wrapped our heads around that I figured that she had to come from somewhere,” he continued. “Even when something is erased, chances are you can find it again on another system. That’s why I came here and started digging around. I found all of Chiaki’s personality files and a bunch of other stuff. I can restore her so she’ll be exactly as she was when we first met her. I’m recreating her brain, if you wanna put it that way. That’s phase one.”

Mahiru stayed quiet for a few seconds, wrapping her head around the explanation. “Alright, so if that’s phase one, what’s phase two?”

Kazuichi grinned and pointed to the factory floor below them, different parts scattered all over. They varied in size, shape, and colour, and there were far too many of them to count. “Building her. She may not be a real human, but that doesn’t mean I can’t create the next best thing.”

It took a few seconds for it to sink in, but when it did Mahiru couldn’t help but smile. “You mean a robot? So she’ll basically be the same except she’s made of metal.”

“Pretty much,” Kazuichi said. She could tell he was glad she was catching on. “And even then we might not have to feel cold metal every time we touch her or she touches us. Synthetic skin. That’s if I can get my hands on some, but Naegi said that he’ll try his best.”

“So Naegi knows about all of… all of this?” Mahiru asked, waving a hand at the computer screen.

Kazuichi minimized the window. “Yep. He gave me a bit of help. It was those guys that really helped me out. They’re the ones who organized her files for the simulation in the first place.”

“They didn’t make her themselves?”

“Nah.” Kazuichi shook his head. “They only mentioned it once, but Nanami was made by someone called, um, what was it? Fujisaki Chihiro, I think. The Super High School Level Programmer, I think. They don’t talk about ‘em much. Whoever this Fujisaki person is left all these helpful little instructions on how to alter and create Nanami, though. Almost like they thought this might happen.”

Once she heard the programmer’s name, Mahiru frowned. She had heard or at least seen that name before, but she couldn’t remember where. It was only when she looked back at the screen and saw a bunch of documents maximized that it fell into place.

“Fujisaki Chihiro… They were on one of Monaka’s lists. The ‘to be included’ one,” she said, more to herself than to him, but he heard anyway.

“Huh, seriously?” Kazuichi said, looking absolutely gobsmacked. “…Now that you mention it, I remember you saying something about it. Damn. Maybe Monaka knew them ‘cause of Hope’s Peak and stuff.”

Mahiru shrugged, letting out a sigh. “I honestly don’t know. Maybe there’s something interesting on that computer of yours that could tell us.”

Kazuichi closed everything so he was looking at the desktop. He moved the mouse, slowly going through all of his applications until he stopped at one. Mahiru had to squint to tell what it was: a small face. It was labelled _‘AlterE.exe’_.

“Alter E?” Mahiru read, looking at Kazuichi with questioning eyes.

He didn’t explain, instead double clicking on the program and waiting for it to load. It came up almost immediately, a blaring green screen making her eyes hurt. Seconds later, the same face that was in the icon appeared, a smile on its face as it bobbed up and down.

“Hello, Souda-san! It’s been a while since you called on me. Is everything going alright with the program?”

Kazuichi nodded and typed instead of talking back. _‘Yep everything is ok!! We were just wonderin what u know bout Fujisaki Chihiro. Is that how u spell it??’_

Mahiru glared at him. “You can ask me in person instead of typing it, you know. But yes, that’s how you spell it.”

“We? Oh!” The face’s eyes widened as it looked at Mahiru. “I apologize, I didn’t see you there. I’m Alter Ego, an artificial intelligence program. Who might you be?”

She was about to respond verbally when she remembered what Kazuichi had done. Grabbing the keyboard, she quickly typed, _‘Koizumi Mahiru. It’s a pleasure to meet you.’_

Alter Ego beamed as she hit enter. “Ah, I have some basic information on you. You’re the Super High School Level Photographer, right?”

_‘Yes.’_

“Amazing! Please tell me about it sometime.”

Before Mahiru could say that yes, she would love to, Kazuichi took the keyboard off her. She gave him a look that he ignored as his fingers fired over the keyboard, eyebrows scrunched in confusion even as he sent his message.

_‘Could u do it another time?? Rite now we need 2 talk 2 u bout Fujisaki Chihiro.’_

Alter Ego looked like he (at least Mahiru assumed it was a he, since it was hard to tell with only a floating head) was ready to cry as he said, “Right! I’m so sorry, Souda-san! Um, where do I begin? Well, Fujisaki Chihiro is my master – or _was_ , I should say. He created me before he died. He was the Super High School Level Programmer and was involved in the same mutual killing game as Naegi-san and the others. Technically I died during it as well, but some of my data was salvaged and I was able to be reactivated.”

Mahiru listened to the program’s words intently. “Huh, no wonder the Future Foundation members won’t talk about him. It’s probably a sore subject.”

“Is that information sufficient?” Alter Ego asked. “I could give you more.”

Mahiru was the one to reply. _‘No, that’s perfect fine, Alter Ego-san. That’s more than enough. Thank you.’_

“Then I shall take my leave. Good luck with recreating my little sister!”

Alter Ego faded away, leaving the green screen in its place before that too disappeared, leaving the desktop as it was.

Both Mahiru and Kazuichi sat in silence for a few seconds. They were soaking up the information, or at least that was what Mahiru was doing. She couldn’t tell if Kazuichi was doing the same for sure, but she just had a feeling he was. In reality, what Alter Ego had said made sense. It wasn’t all that mind-blowing, but it was more than they had bargained for.

Kazuichi turned to her, opening his mouth to speak, but he was interrupted by the sound of his phone (or his _Kazuichi_ , as he still insisted they be called) ringing. Lines appeared on his forehead as he frowned and answered the phone, turning it so both of them could see who it was.

Fuyuhiko’s face appeared on the screen, looking panicked. He was even sweating. In the background was the familiar white colour of the hospital floor and walls and Mahiru’s heart began hammering in her chest. If he was in the hospital, that definitely couldn’t mean anything good.

“Souda, Koizumi, you need to get to the hospital now! ‘Specially you, Koizumi.”

“Huh? What do you mean especially –”

“There’s no fucking time for that!” Fuyuhiko yelled. If he didn’t look so worried Mahiru would have scolded him, but now obviously wasn’t the time. “Get down here!”

The phone cut off, the screen turning black, but this time neither Mahiru nor Kazuichi had time to wrap their heads around the situation. They were already out of their seats, sprinting towards the door and towards the third island. The entire time Mahiru couldn’t help but mull over what Fuyuhiko had said. Why would they need her in particular?

Nothing became any clearer as they neared the hospital. Ibuki met them in the foyer, her face mimicking the exact same expression Fuyuhiko had warn only minutes ago. This disappeared as she looked at Kazuichi, a look of concern replacing it. The two expressions may not have been too different, but it was evident on someone as expressive as Ibuki.

“Kazuichi-chan, are you okay?! You look like you’re going to pass out!” She jumped, draping an arm around her shoulders. “How does that song go? Ibuki knows this, she knows this – oh! ‘ _A-tishoo! A-tishoo! We all fall down!_ ’”

Mahiru was about to reprimand Ibuki for singing at a time like this, but her words caught in her throat as she saw Kazuichi. He was pale and sweating. Running so fast had caused his wounds to resurface, or at least the pain he had felt from them. She cursed herself for not paying enough attention to his well-being.

“I’m fine,” Kazuichi panted as he saw the look on her face. “I’ll just, um, I’ll just rest here for a bit, though.”

Mahiru nodded, then looked at Ibuki. “Ibuki-chan, do you think you could make sure he doesn’t overexert himself? I’d do it myself, but Kuzuryuu said I needed to be here. He wouldn’t say why, though.”

“Leave it to me!” the musician said, chirpy attitude returning. Mahiru guessed she needed a distraction from whatever was going on upstairs. She could hear muffled noises coming from above and her stomach lurched.

Muttering a few words of thanks, she started to head upstairs, but she was stopped by a hand grabbing her wrist. The hand was rough, callouses running up and down the fingers, but she felt her heart palpitate regardless. She turned to meet Kazuichi’s eyes.

“Be careful,” was all he said, letting her go before returning to Ibuki’s side on the foyer’s couch.

Mahiru gave him a small smile in response before racing upstairs. She had expected the commotion to be on the main floor of the hospital, the one with all of their rooms, especially since that was where Hajime was being kept, but that was not the case. Not a single person was around. Hajime’s door was shut as it had been when they left. The only reason she knew she was going the right way was because the racket had become louder.

Biting her lip, she took an educated guess and dashed to the stairs leading to the third floor. The sound of her footsteps were drowned out by whatever was happening, and by the time she reached the landing her ears were beginning to hurt.

She would have made a complaint about the noise, perhaps yell at everyone to be quiet, but all of her thoughts flew out of her brain when she saw the reason behind Fuyuhiko’s call.

“What… What is this?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I REGRET NOTHING.
> 
> Also, quick not on Chihiro/Alter Ego's pronouns, in SDR2 Chiaki refers to them as her 'father' and 'brother' respectively. That's why I went with that. I also hope I didn't butcher Alter Ego's character. Hopefully I didn't, but you never know.


	18. Chapter 18

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> IT WAS GONNA HAPPEN. WE ALL KNEW IT WAS GONNA HAPPEN.

Hiyoko was a girl of many smiles. When she was genuinely happy, her cheeks would rise and make her look younger than she already seemed. There was the smile she commonly wore around the other students, the one where she was being mean or snarky, where one corner was higher than the other and she held her hand in front of her face to stop her giggles. The rarest smile of them all was the sad smile she had when she let her guard down and spoke about her family life.

The smile the Hiyoko standing before Mahiru was wearing made the latter’s blood run cold.

It didn’t help that the dancer was currently positioned over Teruteru with an electrical cable raised above her head. Her teeth flashed pearly white as she leered at him, him wiggling and trying to get out of her grasp, but he was flat on his back and her legs were on either side of him.

Letting out another of her high pitched giggles, Hiyoko began to lower the electrical cord, aiming for Teruteru’s heart. Mahiru didn’t have a chance to think before she screamed.

“Hiyoko, don’t!” She hurt her voice with how high she shouted, but it was worth it as she managed to distract the blonde girl long enough for her to tackle her. The electrical cable went flying, just missing Teruteru’s arm. The chef promptly rolled out of the way.

“Fuck you, Koizumi, you stupid bitch!” Hiyoko screamed, trying to worm her way out of Mahiru’s grip. She was still far too weak from being inside the pod, so despite her natural endurance it was easy to outmatch her.

When Mahiru had successfully pinned her down, she refused to look at her face, and so decided to take in the rest of the scene instead. Teruteru was standing by the stairs, rubbing his legs as if they were going to fall off. Akane wasn’t fighting for once, instead shielding Midori from the scene. The younger girl was obviously frightened, pure terror in her eyes despite what she had seen during the past few days.

The biggest attraction was who – or what – Peko and Fuyuhiko were fighting. Whoever this was didn’t look like a complete human being, instead covered from head to foot with different skin colours, clothes, patterns, and facial features. The only way she was able to recognize the form of Togami Byakuya, their Togami Byakuya, was the familiar golden hair and the familiar heavy-set body type. He was mercilessly swinging at the engaged couple, almost blindly and very unlike himself. He and Hiyoko were both like that.

Then it occurred to her. This was what despair looked like.

She probably would have been frozen in shock had Hiyoko not tugged on her arm, digging her overgrown nails into her skin. She hissed, but didn’t take her arm away in case Hiyoko tried to escape. She couldn’t risk her hurting anyone, whether it be herself or the others.

When Hiyoko completely realized what she was doing, her eyes grew wide, making her smile seem even creepier. “Aw, Mahiru-chan! Are you not my big sis anymore? Are you going to kill me? Am I too despairingly crazy for you?” She started laughing, not bothering to conceal the sound.

Mahiru didn’t get a chance to respond, and she didn’t think she would have been able to even if she’d tried, as Mikan then ran upstairs at full force, Nekomaru behind her. Both of them were carrying one needle each in their hands. They both looked around before deciding to go in different directions: Mikan towards Mahiru and Hiyoko, Nekomaru towards Peko and Fuyuhiko’s opponent.

“What’s going on?” Mahiru asked Mikan.

Mikan didn’t respond to her, instead kneeling down and avoiding Hiyoko’s piercing glare. “I-I’m sorry, Saionji-san!”

“You nasty fucking bitch, what are you –?”

Hiyoko didn’t get the chance to finish as the needle was pushed into her arm. She gasped and for a second Mahiru thought her eyes were going to roll into the back of her head, but they remained where they were until she closed them and went limp. Mahiru didn’t want to move her body immediately, just in case she woke up, though she was sure that whatever concoction Mikan had shot into her veins would keep her down for a while.

Mikan was breathless and sweating, and it was only while looking at her that Mahiru realized all of the commotion in the hallway had stopped. She risked a look at Nekomaru, who was now holding the sagging Byakuya in his arms. He, Peko, and Fuyuhiko exchanged concerned looks.

Now that it was silent in the hallway, it was easy to hear the sounds coming from inside the pod room. The door was ajar, which was strange, as most of the time they left it closed. She forced herself not to focus on it right now. She had other problems to worry about, namely the unconscious traditional dancer in her arms.

“…Okay,” she managed to breathe out, passing Hiyoko to Mikan. “What the hell is going on here?”

Most of the people in the room shrugged except for Mikan. Everyone turned to look at her, waiting for answers. She had been in the hospital the entire time, or at least she was supposed to be, so she had to know something, right?

“U-Um…” Mikan’s eyes flickered between Hiyoko and those before her. “Everything was fine! A-And then, and then, there was the alarm! But it was a different alarm and Asahina-san and I went to check it and they were awake, b-but they were full of despair and then all of this happened and – and – and –”

Mikan’s words quickly turned into sobs. Mahiru took Hiyoko away from her again just in case, wishing she had a spare arm to comfort the poor girl with. She remembered what Kazuichi had said all that time ago about Mikan’s awakening and how she’d still been in despair. She was probably reliving those memories, one concealed in each tear.

When her cries had quietened, Fuyuhiko came closer. “Hey, Tsumiki, how did they wake up like this? Was it coincidence?”

“N-No, I don’t think so…” Mikan avoided looking them in the eyes. “I don’t want to point fingers of course! But, um, Komaeda-san… did it.”

Fuyuhiko threw his hands up, balling them into fists. “Fucking Komaeda!”

Akane nodded towards the pod room doors, still holding Midori close to her. “Is that what’s happening in there? Is that asshole in there?”

“Y-Yes, I’d say so, but um, could someone help me carry these two downstairs? Asahina-san is still looking over Hinata-san,” Mikan said, once again taking Hiyoko. It was like a game of pass the parcel.

Nekomaru and Akane agreed to help and the three of them disappeared downstairs, taking both of the limp bodies with them. Mahiru couldn’t take her eyes away from Hiyoko’s face until she had disappeared from sight. Her stomach clenched as the past five minutes caught up with her.

Following the others into the pod room, Mahiru knew instantly that she should be quiet. The atmosphere was heavy and there were broken cables scattered around everywhere. The pods were no longer emitting their usual green light, dimmed from being disconnected. Right in the middle of the room were the Future Foundation members (with the exception of Asahina) and Nagito, the latter of whom was being scolded.

Fuyuhiko either didn’t read the atmosphere or he simply didn’t care. “Hey, what’s goin’ on here?”

The others seemed surprised to see them there, not having noticed them walk in. Naegi, as per usual, was the one to respond, stepping to the front and clearing his throat. “Well, Komaeda-san didn’t listen to us, snuck in here, and forced Saionji-san and Imposter-san to wake up abruptly. Their minds weren’t done healing and so they reverted back to their despair-induced state.”

Nagito stared at the ground. Mahiru felt anger rise from her stomach to her chest, then out to her arms. She wanted to yell, to tell Nagito how much of an idiot he was, but hopefully he would reach that conclusion in time. The last thing they needed was for them all to yell at one another, things never being solved. She was sure the Future Foundation had lectured him already regardless.

“But with this comes good news,” Kirigiri said, stepping beside Naegi. “Out of the two scenarios that could have happened, this is the better one. Now that they’re both awake, we can put them in a simulation along with Hinata-san. As long as we can repair the damage, which with Souda-san’s help I’m sure we can, we’ll be able to sort everything out.”

Hearing that gave Mahiru a sense of relief, but she was still tense. What Nagito had done had been incredibly risky. The stakes were high, and even with his phenomenal luck powers or whatever he called them, there was no guarantee that it would work. Unless she was giving him a piece of her mind, she didn’t think she would be able to look him in the eye again. She had forgiven him (mostly) for everything that happened in the simulation and had even given him a second chance after the incident when he woke up, but this was different. This was about her best friend.

No one else would look at him either, even when he moved a few steps towards them, face unsure as he said, “I did it for the hope in us all! My luck works in cycles. My bad luck was the incident with Hajime, so I was sure I could use my good luck now!”

“And what happens when your bad luck returns?” Peko asked, voice even colder than usual.

Teruteru scoffed somewhere to Mahiru’s right. “As if it was for all of us. You’re cared about Hinata’s well-being and only Hinata’s well-being.”

Nagito didn’t respond to either of them. Maybe he knew they were right. In any case, Mahiru didn’t want to be in the same room with him anymore. Everything was catching up to her like a tidal wave and she didn’t want to break down in front of the Future Foundation.

“I’m going to go tell the others in the lobby,” she said, keeping her head down as she spun on her heel and marched out the door.

She didn’t stop until she was safely downstairs. It was strange to feel safer on the second floor with three sedated despair children, but she did. At least they were unconscious and their movements could be monitored. Nagito was a bag of surprises, and none of them were pleasant.

Sonia and Gundam had arrived in the foyer by the time she returned. They, Kazuichi, and Ibuki were all sitting on the couch, talking quietly among themselves, but they looked up when they saw her. Kazuichi was up instantly, and she was glad to see that he seemed a lot better than before. At least that was something.

“Mahiru, there you are,” he said, taking her wrist and dragging her to the couch before she could protest. “What happened? Are you alright? You look kinda pale.”

“I’m…” Mahiru didn’t know how to answer. She was most definitely not alright. As she avoided Gundam’s elevated leg, she tried to think of what to say, or rather how to say it. She could feel the tears brimming behind her eyelids. “Well… Komaeda snuck into the hospital and he… He tried to wake Hiyoko-chan and Togami up by force.”

The Dark Devas jumped as Gundam let out a loud, “What?!”

Ibuki foamed at the mouth as Sonia grabbed Mahiru’s hands. “Are they okay?”

Mahiru couldn’t consider sedated okay, and then there was the matter of what had happened while they were conscious. The image of Hiyoko’s sneer appeared in her head, breaking the damn of tears, her sobs now flowing freely. Sonia’s arms wrapped around her and she kept her head against the princess’s shoulder until her cries subsided.

When she had calmed down, she dried her eyes and took a deep breath. “They’re fine right now. Neither of them died, but because they were woken up they returned to their despair personalities. Tsumiki-san and Nidai sedated them and took them downstairs, but still, if they hadn’t…”

“What are they going to do with them?” Kazuichi asked, shifting closer to her so their arms were touching.

Mahiru tugged on the ends of her hair. “Well, that’s the good news, I guess. Kirigiri said that because they’re awake, they can start Hinata’s simulation and put them into it as well. Oh, that reminds me.” She turned to Kazuichi. “We need you to fix the pod room.”

“It’s broken?” he asked.

She nodded. “Hiyoko-chan… She had something to do with it, I think.”

No one pressed her on the issue, which she was thankful for. With the story over, she was able to relax, even if just a little. She leaned against Kazuichi’s arm, which was still right beside hers. It was a small comfort for what she had been through, but for now it was enough.

It was ten minutes later that everyone came downstairs. Akane, Midori, and Nekomaru had re-joined the group, but Asahina, Togami, Kirigiri and (thankfully) Komaeda had left. None of them batted an eyelid seeing them in the foyer, probably having expected to see them there.

“Hey, dudes,” Hagakure said. Mahiru had to commend him for trying to smile, at the very least. “Everything’s under control.”

It was Naegi who clarified. “The two despair students are going to stay in the hospital. The setup doesn’t change much from before, but now Togami-san and Kirigiri-san will be staying with Tsumiki-san and Asahina-san. Komaeda-san has to stay for a bit with Tsumiki-san to explain exactly what he did, but I’ll come to get him later. I’ll be keeping an eye on him.” His eyes lowered. “I’m sorry for not being able to protect them.”

“It is not your fault, Naegi-san,” Sonia insisted. “Komaeda-san has… has a way of sneaking around, especially when he has his sights set on something. What’s done is done, and Koizumi-san has said that there is a silver lining of sorts?”

Hagakure nodded, giving them a thumbs up. “Yep! We’ll be able to put all three of them in a simulation once we get things working again.”

“Oh!” Naegi swirled so he was looking directly at Kazuichi. “Souda-san, could you please take a look at the pod room? The damage isn’t as bad as we initially thought, but if you still can’t fix it just tell us – if you want to fix it, of course!”

Kazuichi stood up. Goosebumps rose on Mahiru’s arm as the cold air hit it again. The fabric of that jumpsuit had been warmer than she thought. “‘Course I’ll fix it! What’s the damage?”

“I’ll show you.”

Naegi and Kazuichi disappeared upstairs, leaving everyone else behind. Everyone looked at Fukawa and Hagakure expectantly. They were the only two Future Foundation members left with them, but neither looked like they really knew what they were doing.

Eventually, Hagakure cleared his throat. “So, uh, dismissed? I guess.”

Mahiru leaned against the couch as everyone began to leave the foyer. After what had happened, she was feeling tired, her eyes sore from crying. She was sure she looked like a wreck, but she didn’t really care. There were more pressing things to worry about, even if it appeared to be sorted.

“Ibuki-san, could you please escort Gundam back to our cottage? I would like to stay with Koizumi-san for a while.”

At the sound of her name, Mahiru perked up. Sonia was waving at Ibuki and Gundam as they left the hospital, Ibuki singing a cheery song as she waved, almost whacking Gundam’s crutch out from underneath him. She wondered whether they would make it back to the first island without dying, but she was sure if worst came to worst the Dark Devas would be able to get them out of it.

Once everyone had disappeared out the door, Sonia turned to her with a bright smile on her face. “Koizumi-san, let’s go back to your room. You look like you need a bit of company, yes?”

As much as Mahiru wanted to go back alone and bury herself underneath her covers as she had the night before, she knew she couldn’t hide away from the world like that. She was Koizumi Mahiru, the girl who confronted others even when faced with dire consequences or possibilities. Everything had turned out okay, at least for the moment, so she didn’t need to be so brave.

So why was it that she felt she had to?

“Koizumi-san, are you okay?”

Mahiru snapped out of her thoughts. Sonia’s grin had disappeared, replaced with a look of concern.

“I’m fine!” Mahiru said a little too loudly. “At least I will be. Soon. I promise.” She stood up. “Now let’s go.”

The smile returned as Sonia offered her arm. Mahiru gratefully accepted, linking arms with the princess as they walked out of the foyer.

It was on the bridge connecting the third and centre islands that Sonia asked, “So how did your talk with Souda-san go?”

Mahiru almost jumped. She tried to force the creeping blush down, but it didn’t work, forcing her to turn her head away from Sonia. “It’s not… It’s not, I mean, it’s not really. How do you know that we spoke to each other anyway?” Yes, change the subject. Perfect.

Sonia gave her a sly smile that made her even more uneasy. “You two have been acting a lot more comfortable around each other. You were like that before, of course, but not as much as you are now. It’s a small change, but it’s noticeable.”

Mahiru had to stop herself from groaning. If Sonia had noticed, who else had? Hopefully they would all be too focused on the day’s events to care. “Alright… Yes, we spoke about it the day after you told me to. I don’t have a name for it yet, but it’s a thing.”

Sonia squealed and pulled her arm, almost making her fall. “Oh, this is most wonderful, Koizumi-san! Congratulations!”

“Well, I mean, it’s nothing big, and we’re not even an official thing, really… I mean…” Her mouth opened and closed as she looked for the right words to say.

“It’s okay, Koizumi-san! Congratulations anyway,” Sonia said, eyes sparkling.

 

* * *

 

Mahiru was sticking her photos on the wall (with bluetack, since tape would ruin the images) when Kazuichi finally walked in. It was around nine in the evening and they had already eaten, but Kazuichi hadn’t joined them. Naegi had explained that he was still working on the pod room, but didn’t go into any details in fear of bringing up what had happened earlier. No one wanted to talk about it.

“And how are you?” she asked, sitting on her bed.

Kazuichi rubbed his eyes and sat beside her, avoiding the photographs scattered all over the bedsheets. “I’m tired, but I’ll survive.” His face turned serious. “I should be asking you that, though.”

Mahiru sighed. “I’m fine… As long as I don’t see Komaeda outside of the cafeteria I think I’ll be able to make it. I couldn’t look at him all through dinner. Speaking of dinner, though, aren’t you hungry? You weren’t at dinner and I was worried.”

“Were you now?” he asked, trying – and failing – to hide his grin.

She whacked his arm. “Shut it, you. So have you?”

“Have I what?”

“ _Eaten_.”

He chuckled. “Yeah, Naegi passed me some leftovers around seven. I needed a break and I thought I’d be able to work through the night if I had one, but I’m too unfocused now. I only have a bit left to go, though. Whatever happened in there was…” He let out a low whistle.

Mahiru fell silent as she thought about Hiyoko once again and how she was sitting above Teruteru, electrical cord in hand. If she hadn’t reacted faster…

“Mahiru?” Fingers clicked in front of her face. “You okay?”

She rubbed her arms. “Yeah – yeah, I’m okay.” She paused, wondering whether she should tell him what she saw, but when he looked at her with those confused and pleading eyes she couldn’t say no. “When Hiyoko-chan was… in her despair mode, she was about to electrocute Hanamura. If I hadn’t knocked her out of the way…”

“But you did,” Kazuichi said, grabbing her arm. “You’re fine, he’s fine, she _will be_ fine. Everything’s gonna be okay. You know that, right?”

Her frown disappeared, turning into a smile as she leaned her head on his arm. “Yeah, I know.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're nearing the end, folks. I have an idea in sight at least. After this is finished I'm going to make a small chapter story based on when each of them woke up, so look forward to that too!


	19. Chapter 19

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter kind of speaks for itself, I suppose.

The next few days felt long and torturous for Mahiru. Her thoughts kept wandering back to Hiyoko, and by extension Hajime and Byakuya. Kazuichi was busy repairing the pod room, which she was thankful for, but she missed having him as a distraction. Everyone else was either busy or concerned with their own problems.

It was on the fourth day that the momentum began to pick up. She was in the dining room with Sonia and Gundam when Hagakure burst in, Fukawa at his heels, though she looked very unwilling to follow him. They all stood up, thinking there was something wrong, perhaps a problem at the hospital, but the grin Hagakure was wearing was enough to drown their fears.

“Dude, dudettes! We have some news for you!” he said. “You have to come to the message room thingy though!”

Mahiru was confused, but if it wasn’t urgent then it had to be something good, or at least neutral. At this point she would settle for ‘slightly below average’. She thought as much as she entered the hospital, the events of a few days ago hitting her like a tonne of bricks. She would have stopped had Sonia not looked at her with a worried look on her face.

The message room was full by the time they arrived. Everyone else had already come in, though the people who were on guard duty downstairs were absent. It made sense. Someone could pass the message along later. Their safety was more important.

Sliding into the room, Mahiru moved so she was standing next to Kazuichi. He looked tired and his jumpsuit was dirty, but he smiled when he saw her. She smiled back, though she was sure she looked more concerned than happy. She was worried about what this message was.

“It’ll be fine,” Kazuichi said, nudging her a bit. He laughed as she wiped some dirt off her shoulder. “It’s good news, I think.”

She nodded once, showing she had heard but was still apprehensive. He didn’t try to convince her otherwise, which she was grateful for. She would have to see what this was about for herself and make her own opinion.

Naegi gave the room a once over, making sure everyone was there. Once satisfied, he turned to the screen where his sister was waiting patiently and said, “Okay, Komaru. Everyone’s here.”

“Okay!” Komaru smiled brightly and hope rose to Mahiru’s chest. “Well, you guys probably know that we’ve been flying Japanese citizens who were in other countries during the incident back over here, right? We found some relatives or family friends or pretty much anyone that was related to you guys. I thought you might want to reunite with them, so I was wondering whether I should send them over.”

Midori rushed over to the screen, ducking between Naegi’s legs to do so. “Did you find my brothers or my sisters?! I don’t know where they are! I’m scared!”

Komaru’s face relaxed, taking on a motherly kind of look. “Yes, we found them. All of them. They’re all safe.”

“Then send ‘em over, then!” Akane shouted with vigour. “What are ya waiting for?!”

There were murmurs of agreement throughout the room, Mahiru being one of them. In all honesty, she had stopped paying full attention when Midori ran over, her mind elsewhere. Her mother had been out of the country at the time, so it was very possible that she was one of the survivors. Excitement and relief flowed through her, but there was something holding her back. She didn’t want to get her hopes up entirely only to have them knocked down in the end.

“Okay! They should be over there in a few hours near the airport!” Komaru said. “Look forward to it!”

The screen turned black and Naegi turned around, gently guiding Midori back to Akane. “Well, there we go.”

Mahiru looked around the room. People were happy, that was certain, but many were nervous. Other than Akane’s siblings, no other relatives had been confirmed, so everyone had mixed feelings. They were all like her: not wanting to hope just in case.

Kazuichi didn’t look perturbed by the news. He stretched, wrench in his hand. “Well, I better get back to the pod room.” He began to walk out, but leaned down to whisper in her ear. “She’ll come. Don’t worry.”

He smiled at her as he walked out, her watching until he disappeared into the pod room. Everyone else was filing out and so she followed, not knowing where to go next. Her thoughts kept returning to the inevitable flight and she wondered how many people would be there. Akane had a lot of siblings, seven including Midori, so that was a lot of occupants for a small flight already.

* * *

 

During the following hours, Mahiru couldn’t stay away from the first island. She roamed around, keeping herself occupied and checking the time. A couple of hours later, she found she wasn’t alone. Others were also curious as to who would arrive.

When she finally chose to stop at the airport waiting area, she saw Sonia, Gundam, and Teruteru. They had made themselves some coffee using the cheap brand near the baggage claim and were sitting around, cups in hand. All of them greeted Mahiru with a smile when she walked in.

“Couldn’t stay away, could you?” Teruteru said, though his nervousness betrayed his usually suave voice.

Sonia scooted over, allowing Mahiru to sit beside her. “We are awaiting the arrival of the aircraft, whatever that may be. All of my people are in Novoselic, of course. I am here for moral support!” She pumped her fist in the air.

Mahiru managed to smile. “At least it’s good news this time around, right?”

“I wonder when it’s going to –”

“Sh!” Mahiru was about to scold Teruteru for interrupting Sonia, but he continued. “I think I hear something.”

Straining her ears, she couldn’t hear anything at first, but then she heard it. It was definitely the sound of something in the sky. After hearing helicopter noises constantly since waking up, she knew it wasn’t one of them, but she grinned when she recognised the sound.

Gundam must have been on the same wavelength as her as he said, “An aeroplane!”

“I will send a message to everyone else!” Sonia said, voice high as she took out her phone device.

Mahiru hardly paid her any attention. She was already on her feet and running towards the wall-high windows, wanting to go out there immediately, but she knew it wasn’t safe. Teruteru was beside her in seconds, both hands glued to the glass. She was vaguely aware of Gundam limping his way towards him and Sonia trying to steady him.

The plane wasn’t as big as she had expected, but it was still quite large. There was no telling how many passengers were on it, knowing only that Akane’s siblings were definitely on that flight, taking up a bunch of seats. She wondered how many seats they took up.

People were beginning to arrive now. Akane had sprinted the whole way with Midori on her back, both of them fidgeting with excitement. Nekomaru was trying to calm them down. Fuyuhiko and Peko stood further away than everyone else, presumably because neither of them were expecting much, particularly Peko who had no biological family to her name. Ibuki was strumming her guitar nervously, eyes darting about, and Hagakure and Naegi were there to supervise. Mikan, Kazuichi, and Nagito were missing, the former two still at the hospital. As for Nagito, who knew? Mahiru didn’t, and she didn’t care in the slightest.

All talking in the room ceased as the plane’s stairs descended. Moments later, people began filing out, the students already running out the doors and near the runway. All of them were waiting, hoping, _praying_ that someone they knew was on that aeroplane.

The first people to appear were obviously Akane’s siblings. While they all had different features and didn’t all have the same skin colour, they wore the exact same grin she and Midori did. It was a heart-warming sight, seeing all of the children hug their older sister, who was crying freely. Mahiru couldn’t help but smile.

She fidgeted as others exited the plane, none of them for her. There were two siblings, both short and plump, who ran to Teruteru as soon as they saw him. A group of about half a dozen were after them, all of them with various tattoos and wearing black. It was clear as to why as soon as they ran over to Fuyuhiko and Peko, shouting and whooping as they held their boss in the air. A thin girl almost dropped her bags (was that a guitar case?) as Ibuki squealed and ran to hug her.

Looking down, she fiddled with her camera strap. She couldn’t bear to look at all of the happy reunions. She was happy for everyone, she truly was, but she just wished that she –

“Mahiru.”

Her breath hitched. She knew that voice. That was the voice that sounded when dinner was ready and bedtime stories were being read, the stories of travels from long ago and a nice summer day during vacation. It was the voice of a mother.

Forcing herself to look up, Mahiru could barely make out the person in front of her due to her tears, but she knew who it was. That posture and hair that mirrored hers was unmistakable. Without a second thought, she flung into the other’s arms, her camera swaying between them.

“Mum,” she managed to croak out. “You’re here.”

There was a laugh, the same laugh from when Mahiru used to take pictures using her mother’s camera as a toddler. “Of course I am. It’s good to see you.”

Mahiru leaned back and wiped her eyes, now able to get a better look at her mother. The two were almost splitting images of each other, though her mother’s hair was longer and done in a bun, her freckles even more prominent, sun-kissed from her travels. She had definitely aged during the past five or so years, but she was still as beautiful as ever.

“You’ve grown taller,” her mother said, placing a hand on her head. She frowned. “And skinnier.”

Feeling self-conscious, Mahiru averted her eyes. “I was unconscious for months. It was bound to happen.”

Her mother wrapped an arm around her shoulder. “I know, but I hear you have a cook on this island, so I’m sure you’re healthy.”

Mahiru looked once more at Teruteru, who was still hugging his siblings, but her attention was quickly diverted. By the stairs of the plane were two adults, a man and a woman, both of them conversing. It was clear that they were distracted by the way they would glance at the doors every few seconds. Whoever they were waiting for hadn’t shown up yet.

“Um, mum, who are they?” she asked, gesturing towards them.

Her mother turned around. “Oh. The woman I didn’t catch the name of, but the man is Saionji Keisuke. He’s rather nice, if a little lacking in backbone. Why do you ask?”

She took her mother’s hand. “Come with me.” It wasn’t an order, but a gentle request. Her mother simply smiled down at her and followed.

The two adults looked at them as they walked up, a smile gracing their faces. The man, Hiyoko’s relative, spoke first. “Why, hello there, Koizumi-san! Is this your daughter?”

“Yes, she is. This is Mahiru,” her mother introduced.

Keisuke bowed to her and she bowed back, but as soon as she was upright again she was down to business. “Are you Hiyoko-chan’s father?”

He looked startled for a second before grinning. While their personalities seemed to be extremely different, it was clear by the spark in his eyes that they were related. “Yeah, I am. Um, do you know where she is?”

Mahiru bit her lip. “They… The pilot didn’t tell you, at least?”

He laughed. “I _was_ the pilot. But no one told me anything, no. All I know is that you are all on this island and that you were recovering from the despair.”

Placing the pilot fact at the very back of her mind, she inhaled deeply. “Well, she’s still asleep. As in, still in her coma. Sort of. It’s kind of difficult to explain. The short version is that she’s still recovering. She’ll be fine, though. Everything will be sorted once Kazuichi fixes the pod room.”

The other woman stepped forward, drawing Mahiru’s eyes to her. She was very beautiful, around the same age as her own mother, though her skin was clearer and her hair black. Her glasses weren’t thick enough to cover her light brown eyes. Mahiru wondered whose relative or friend she was.

“Excuse me, but did you say Kazuichi? As in Souda Kazuichi?” she asked, voice soft but earnest, making Mahiru think of a fairy godmother or a guardian angel.

Mahiru blinked. “Um, yes? Do you know him?”

The woman smiled sadly. “I wouldn’t say I _know_ him, but I’m related to him. He probably wasn’t expecting me.”

Mulling over her words, Mahiru’s forehead creased in thought. She had no idea who this woman could be until she remembered what Kazuichi himself once said to her.

_“It wasn’t much of a family. No mum. Dad hit me. Thought it was normal at the time.”_

She had been so focused on his father that she had completely neglected his mother. Her eyes widened with the revelation, head snapping up.

“Are you his mother?”

Another bitter smile. “Yes, I am. I’ve been out of the country for a long while. So long that I didn’t see my son grow up. As soon as I returned, I was told about this place and who was here. Speaking of him, though, where is he?”

“He’s fixing the pod room. Some stuff happened to it…” She paused, not wanting to tell the story, especially while Hiyoko’s father was present. “It’s a long story, but I can take him to you if you want.”

The smile this time was happier, gentler. “That would be wonderful, but do you not want to spend your time with your mother?”

Mahiru looked at her mother, waiting for her to respond. The older Koizumi smiled and said, “I don’t mind. Mahiru and I have all the time in the world right now. My name is Koizumi Sana, by the way.”

“Souda Miyako.” At Mahiru’s confused look, Kazuichi’s mother said, “Kazuichi’s father and I never properly divorced. I still carry the same family name.”

Keisuke’s eyes flickered between them, shifting his weight from one leg to the other. “Um, may I ask what I’m supposed to do?”

Mahiru had almost forgotten he was there, as bad as it sounded. She was still recovering from the shock of meeting Kazuichi’s mother. “Oh, um, go to the two men in black suits. They’re members of the Future Foundation. They’ll tell you what to do.”

“Thank you,” he said, and with one last bow to each of them, he strode over to where Hagakure and Naegi were.

Mahiru watched him for a second or two before turning back to her mother and Miyako. “So, um, shall we go? The hospital is technically off limits, but I’m sure they’ll make an exception, even if we don’t ask first.”

She led the two older women through the runway doors and outside the airport, avoiding Gundam as his mother (or at least she assumed it was his mother) fussed over his broken leg. Sana and Miyako were both carrying luggage with them, but they didn’t look like they were struggling, so she let them be. The journey to the third island was more comfortable than she expected, possibly because the mothers were making small talk as they went.

Asahina was standing outside the hospital when they arrived, counting under her breath as she did squats. She stopped when she saw them approaching, beaming at them. Mahiru was thankful she hadn’t met someone more disagreeable, like Togami or Fukawa.

“Hey, Koizumi-san! I was just getting some air. I get restless when I’m inside for too long,” she said. “Who are these two? Relatives of yours?”

Mahiru took her mother by the hand again. “This is my mother, Koizumi Sana.” She gestured towards Miyako. “This is Kazuichi’s mother, Souda Miyako. Can we go in and see him?”

Asahina tilted her head to one side. “Well… If you’re in the pod room, you should be safe. Just make sure you’re quiet around the second floor. We don’t want Togami to be a hard ass, do we?”

“Thanks, Asahina-san,” Mahiru said before marching forward, leaving the younger girl to her stretches.

All of the doors inside the hospital were closed, even the unoccupied rooms. She guessed that Mikan had done so a while ago and she hadn’t noticed, probably to keep each place private. Each room had something of theirs still inside, after all. It was only polite.

Mahiru stopped at the big double doors of the pod room. She couldn’t hear anything from inside, but she knew Kazuichi was in there. “Here we are. Good luck.”

Miyako stepped in front of the door, but paused, looking at Mahiru instead of opening it. “Koizumi-san, would you please accompany me? I’m afraid I don’t know anything about him.”

“Um…” Mahiru hesitated, thinking about what Kazuichi would want. In this situation? She had no clue. In the end, she conceded. “Sure.”

Miyako moved aside, letting her open the door and poke her head in. Kazuichi was there, his back to them as he worked on the wires. He was muttering to himself, something about a red wire and a blue wire, something she couldn’t understand. She coughed to gain his attention, but all she did was startled him into screaming. She had to supress a laugh.

“Oh, it’s just you, Mahiru,” he said, clutching some cable cutters to his chest. “Did everything happen already? Did it go well?”

She opened the door wider, letting the two other women be seen. “It went fantastically.” She gestured behind her for her mother to move forward and repeated what she had said to Asahina. “This is my mother, Koizumi Sana. Mum, this is my… This is Souda Kazuichi.”

Kazuichi was instantly up, tucking his tools back in his belt before bowing a bit too deeply. “It’s nice to meet you, Koizumi-san.”

Sana smiled, showing her dimples. “Likewise.”

At the smile, Kazuichi visibily relaxed. “Awesome.” His eyes settled on Miyako, who was still standing awkwardly by the doorway. “Um, who’s this chick?”

Mahiru slapped him on the arm. “Don’t be rude!” she hissed.

Miyako laughed as she stepped forward. “It’s fine, Koizumi-san. I don’t mind.” She didn’t stop until she was right in front of Kazuichi, who looked up at her, confused. “I should probably introduce myself. I’m Souda Miyako.”

Mahiru could practically hear Kazuichi’s brain freeze in shock. She had done the exact same thing, after all, and she was just his… whatever she was to him. What other reaction was he supposed to have?

At least Miyako seemed to have been expecting it. “We have a lot to catch up on, don’t we?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the later-ish update! I was distracted by a bunch of other things, but I finished this chapter in about one sitting. The reunion scene was one I had wanted to do from the start, so I have to say this chapter is one of my favourites.
> 
> The next chapter will be the epilogue, so look forward to it!


	20. Chapter 20

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> //Grates cheese. Cheese? Want more cheese? This chapter isn't cheesy enough? //COVERS IN CHEESE.

Mahiru paced across the floor of Hiyoko’s hospital room, unable to sit still. Kazuichi didn’t try to stop her, only watching her from his seat beside the other girl’s bed. Every few seconds, she would look at Hiyoko and frown.

“She’ll wake up soon, you know that,” he said. “Be patient.”

She almost snorted, but refrained. Hiyoko didn’t need the noise. “I never thought you of all people would be telling me that.”

He grinned. “But here we are, right?” He paused. “Are you sure it’s alright that her dad’s not here? I get that the relatives aren’t allowed, but still… It just feels wrong.”

“Mum wanted to be here to,” she said, feet stopping. “She understood why she couldn’t, though. Imagine if Hiyoko-chan’s father was in here with us. First off, he would be a complete wreck, and second of all he would probably send her emotions into overdrive. Besides, she needs to know what happened in the simulation after she died, hence why you’re here. Her father can’t contribute to that.”

He gave a nervous laugh. “Do you really think she’s gonna listen to me, though? I mean, I’m one of her targets.”

“You’ve matured a bit more,” she said, finally sitting down in the chair opposite him. Only the slumbering Hiyoko was between them. “I think she’ll probably back off after she figures that out. I can’t say the same for Tsumiki-san, though… And I’m sure she’ll still hate Pekoyama-san and Kuzuryuu for a while. Hopefully Hinata or Togami got to her during their second simulation.”

It was two months after the second simulation had begun. The pod room had been fixed not long after the relatives arrived on the island, and Naegi had taken the chance of having them all gathered to explain the situation. The system had saved the data of the first simulation, so they could import all of those memories up until they either ‘died’ or, in Hajime’s case, changed back to despair. They would still be on the island, carefully monitored until it ended.

Everything had gone smoothly, or at least Asahina had reported as much. Now the three had been placed in their rooms, overlooked by others. Nagito had been allowed in Hajime’s room providing he had supervision and Ibuki was in Byakuya’s room. If they listened closely, they would be able to hear her talking to Byakuya in a not so quiet voice.

“Speaking of the simulation, though…” Mahiru waited for him to look at her before continuing. “Have you finished your project? Nanami-san, I mean.”

Kazuichi ran a hand through his hair. “Just about. I can’t get her hair just right. I’ll need your help with that. Other than the appearance details, she’s ready. I should make some kind of game console for her too, since there aren’t a lot of games around here.”

She smiled. “Hinata’s going to be so happy. Komaeda too, probably. He’ll probably just be happy that Hinata’s happy.”

They were interrupted by a cough beside them. Both of them looked at Hiyoko, whose fingers were curling and uncurling, eyelids fluttering. The colour in her face had been a lot better since the second simulation, probably due to it ending a lot better. Mahiru gripped the edge of the bed.

Hiyoko’s head turned in her direction, her eyes opening properly this time. “Mahiru-chan?”

Her voice was raspy, but it was like music to Mahiru’s ears. “Hiyoko-chan! You’re awake! How are you feeling? Should I get Tsumiki-san?!”

“Don’t… Don’t get that… nasty ass skank…”

Well, at least she was on the road to recovery.

Mahiru let Hiyoko wake up properly, helping her sit up when she was ready. Her wounds weren’t affecting her as badly, which was probably also due to her second simulation. Some of her recovery time had been during that time.

“How long – what’s _he_ doing here?”

She had spotted Kazuichi, who had remained quiet and surprisingly still during their exchange. He rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, letting out a feeble, “Hi.”

Knowing he wouldn’t give an explanation, Mahiru rolled her eyes. “He’s here for moral support. He’s good for that, would you believe?”

Hiyoko scoffed. “Not really.” She looked down at herself, eyes widening. “Wait, when did _this_ happen?! Hinata told me I’d grown but I didn’t think he meant this much!”

Mahiru laughed. “If it makes you feel any better, the rest of you hasn’t changed. How much did Hinata tell you and Togami while you were in there? He probably remembered a whole lot more than the rest of you.”

“He told us about pretty much everything.” Hiyoko looked down, fiddling with her nails. Mahiru noted that they would have to cut them soon. “It was kind of a shock, you know? All the stuff I did, and I don’t even know if my family is alive…”

Mahiru placed one of her hands on top of hers. “Your father’s alive and he’s here. A bunch of our relatives arrived when you were being sedated. He’s not allowed inside the hospital, but you can see him as soon as you get out of here. He’s really worried about you, and he’s a nice guy. I can see why you get along so much.”

Hiyoko smiled softly. “Yeah, he’s great. Did we miss much?”

“Not a whole lot,” Kazuichi said with a shrug. Hiyoko glared at him for speaking out of turn, but she let him finish regardless. “There’s been a lot of family and friends time. Owari has a shitload of siblings and they’re all as loud as her. At least Hanamura’s brother and sister help out with dinner, since there’s so many of us now. Oh, and we’ve been preparing for the wedding.”

Hiyoko looked like her eyes were about to pop out of her skull. “What?! What wedding? Hinata didn’t mention anything about that, the jerk.”

“He didn’t?” Mahiru asked, surprised. “Before the Monaka thing – I assume he told you about that at least – Kuzuryuu proposed to Pekoyama-san. They’ve been engaged for a few months now, but they refused to get married until everyone was awake and well again. They want everyone to be there.”

After hearing who the bride and groom were, Hiyoko visibly relax. “Oh, it’s just them? About fucking time. Of course they would be getting married.”

Mahiru tried to hide her smile as she said, “Oh, there’s one more thing about that…”

Hiyoko scowled. “What?”

“Pekoyama-san wants you to be a bridesmaid.”

It took the dancer a few moments to process what Mahiru had said, but when she did she let out a loud, “What?!”

Mahiru laughed openly now. “Pekoyama-san wanted three bridesmaids: you, myself, and Sonia-san. Kuzuryuu was more adamant about it than she was, actually. Kuzuryuu’s only having two groomsmen, though, but I’m sure we can share one during the ceremony.”

Hiyoko’s mouth still hung open, but at least she didn’t seem angry. She shook her head. “Wait, they want me? Why would they want me? I _hated_ them after what they did to you!”

“I think that’s part of the reason why,” Mahiru said. “While they haven’t explicitly said anything, I think they chose me because I was so understanding of the situation, which they were grateful for. I think they chose you because they want to make amends and help you feel included. Kuzuryuu even said to me a little while ago that he was really upset that he couldn’t protect you during the first simulation. So, what do you say?”

Though she was evidently still shocked, Hiyoko managed a small, “Yes.” She even smiled, if just a little. “That would be nice, actually.”

“Great!” Kazuichi said. “Welcome to the wedding party.”

Hiyoko stared at him for a few seconds before, “What?! You’re part of it too?!”

He laughed. “Yep, one of the groomsmen. Hinata’s the best man, of course.”

“Is it too late to back out?” Hiyoko groaned.

Kazuichi only laughed louder, covering her complaints. Mahiru couldn’t help but smile. At least everything was returning to normal. She leaned over so she could speak more softly. “You’re going to have to get used to him, actually.”

Hiyoko was definitely confused at first. Her eyes flickered between Mahiru and Kazuichi, who gave her no hints, but she was able to figure out the meaning anyway. Realization dawned on her face and Mahiru thought she was going to collapse into unconsciousness again.

“ _What the fuck?!_ ”

 

* * *

 

It was about a month later that the wedding was held. They were having the ceremony on the first island’s beach, a beautiful space near the rocks and a spectacular view before them. It was a clear day with perfect weather, even if it was nearing summer, and Mahiru had made sure everyone was wearing sunscreen. Safety first, after all.

While the boys were getting ready at the motel on the third island, the girls were fussing around the hotel itself. They were ducking in and out of their cottages, running for supplies in their own before ultimately returning to Peko’s. It was very hustle and bustle, but Mahiru found herself enjoying it.

“You look beautiful, Pekoyama-san!” Sonia gushed as Peko stood in front of the mirror. “Asahina-san definitely picked out a good dress!”

Mahiru couldn’t agree more. The couple had opted for a more modern wedding as opposed to the Kuzuryuu Clan’s tradition of shrine weddings, which meant Peko was wearing a white dress instead of a kimono. It was strapless, the bodice coming down to her waist. The dress then flowed outwards to the ground, lace wrapped around the material. There was colour, however. Around her waist was a sash that trailed to the ground, a red flower pattern printed on it.

“Red was the Young Mistress’s favourite colour,” she had said when asked about it.

As a result, the bridesmaids’ dresses were also red, albeit a darker shade. Asahina had mentioned the colour – crimson, perhaps? Mahiru couldn’t remember, but she loved how she looked in it. The material was light on her legs, though it only came down to her knees. The colour went well with the white and red flowers she was holding, all roses.

“I feel weird not wearing a kimono!” Hiyoko whined. The dress truly showed how much she had grown. She was now a bit taller than Mahiru herself, and it was a weird adjustment, but she was already used to it.

Sonia rushed over to Hiyoko, playing with her hair even though the up do was already as perfect as it could be. “You look wonderful, Saionji-san! Red really suits you!”

Hiyoko huffed, but she snuck a curious glance at the princess. “Really?”

“Yes, really!”

The two started to talk animatedly, mostly about dresses and kimonos. Not wanting to interrupt them, Mahiru walked over to Peko, who was still checking her appearance in the mirror. She already looked flawless, even with the sword strapped to her leg underneath the beautiful gown.

“Do you think Fuyuhiko will like it?” Peko asked quietly. Her hair was now in one single braid that fell down the left side of her face and onto her shoulder. A flower crown Midori had insisted she wear was perched on her head.

Mahiru smiled gently. “Of course he will. It’s funny – he said the exact same thing about the ring when he was asking for my opinion.”

Peko looked at her. “And what did you say back?”

“That it could be the rustiest ring I’d ever seen and the diamond could be completely broken but you would still accept it because it was him. Was I wrong?”

Peko shook her head, a small smile on her lips. “No, not at all.”

Mahiru opened her mouth to respond, but was interrupted by a knock at the door. With a frown, she went over to open it, hoping there weren’t any complications. The last thing she needed was to hear that they would have to postpone or be late.

Togami Byakuya, _their_ Togami Byakuya, stared down at her. He had hardly been recognizable when he woke up, but he soon took on the appearance they were used to, much to the real Togami’s annoyance. He was still figuring out what to call himself, though Ibuki had taken to calling him ‘Imposter-chan’ very affectionately.

“Koizumi-san,” he greeted with a nod. “It is almost two, so please hurry to the beach. The men are already there, arriving without incident. Miraculously.”

Mahiru laughed as he rolled his eyes. While he was still not the leader he once was, he had a firm tone that could be very commanding. People listened to him more than the real Togami at the very least.

“We’ll be right there,” she said.

With one final nod, Byakuya left, allowing her to shut the door. She turned around to the others, grabbing her bouquet, and said, “We have to go. The guys are all down there and the ceremony is starting soon.”

It was harder than expected to get down to the beach. The bridesmaids were fine, but Peko’s dress was very long and required help to hold it as they walked so it wouldn’t become dirty. Even though the beach was a wide and open space, they were able to conceal themselves behind a bunch of rocks, though there was already someone waiting for them when they arrived.

“Gundam!” Sonia ran to her boyfriend with a spring in her step, her voice startling him. He had been in a deep conversation with the Dark Devas, by the look of things. “Are our little ring bearers ready?”

She looked down at the Devas, all of whom were wearing little tuxedos that Sonia had made for them. Sewing wasn’t her forte and the sizes weren’t quite right, but they were cute nonetheless.

“Yes, they are ready. They have their instructions from their leader, the god of true darkness!” Gundam said, raising his arms to the air.

Hiyoko made a choking noise. “God, he’s so _embarrassing_.”

“Are all of you peasants ready?” Gundam asked as the rest of them approached.

Peko nodded, though anyone could see the nervousness in her face. “Yes. Or, at least I’m as ready as I’ll ever be.”

Taking that as a definite yes, Gundam peeped around the corner. He stayed that way for a few seconds, just staring, until he gave a curt nod. The signal was probably for Ibuki, Mahiru reasoned. She was the wedding band for the event despite the couple being hesitant. She wouldn’t take no for an answer.

The music started to play. Gundam gave Sonia’s hand a squeeze before going to sit in the audience with everyone else. Ibuki was playing something that sounded similar to a wedding march, but if that was what it was supposed to be then she had taken many, _many_ creative liberties. Mahiru was pretty sure the screaming wasn’t in the original version.

Peko took a deep breath and stepped forward. A temporary floor had been set up, a red carpet from the supermarket running down the aisle. Sonia was next, an air of grace about her as she sauntered around the rocks, her posture straight.

Mahiru’s turn was next. She stepped into the sun and clutched her bouquet tightly. Sonia was just up ahead, her hair shining in the sunlight. Moments later, she heard Hiyoko behind her, followed by the Dark Devas carrying the rings. There were a decent amount of guests, all mingled together as there was no groom’s side or bride’s side. Towards the back were the parents, such as her own mother who smiled at her as she walked past. Their classmates were further towards the front, most right at the front in fact.

Peko was practically beaming by the time they reached the altar, Fuyuhiko doing the same. He looked like he was blinking back tears. Hajime was right behind him, fiddling with his tie. Next to him was Kazuichi, who caught Mahiru’s gaze and sent her a wink. She smiled at him.

Once Ibuki’s song was finished, the ceremony began.

“Dudes, dudettes, both, and neither!” Mahiru resisted the urge to sock Hagakure in the face. She didn’t know how he qualified for this, but he apparently was. He had even helped the engaged couple with their marriage paperwork. “We are gathered here today to witness the matrimony of Pekoyama Peko and Kuzuryuu Fuyuhiko.”

There were some cheers from the audience. Members of the Kuzuryuu Clan by the sound of it.

“Today is a time of peace and a time of love. It is a time for trust and commitment. These two are showing their…” Hagakure squinted at the words on his sheet. “…Devotion! Dammit, Kuzuryuu, your writing is terrible.” He coughed as Fuyuhiko glared at him. “Yes, these two are showing their devotion for each other here in front of you today. This will be a short ceremony, but one we hope you will remember. Now the two will exchange their wedding vows.”

Fuyuhiko was first, and although his tears had receded he was now blushing as red as a tomato. “Damn, I didn’t think this would be so embarrassing.” He took a deep breath. “Peko. You and I have known each other since we were little, so I can’t say when I fell in love with you because it was so long ago. What I do know, though, is that I do love you and I always will love you. I promise to always protect you and never let anyone take advantage of you. There, I did it. Your turn.”

Peko was much calmer, but she couldn’t control her grin. Although she couldn’t see it, Mahiru knew it was there. “Fuyuhiko, I was always hesitant to love you for reasons now passed, but I always have, even if I didn’t know it at the time. I have spent my life protecting you and being a shelter and I will continue to do so to the best of my ability.”

A wail sounded from the audience. Mikan blew loudly into a tissue.

“Dammit, Tsumiki! Shut your trap!” Hiyoko shouted from Mahiru’s side. Even though she had been put on a swearing ban, it didn’t stop the insults from leaving her mouth.

Hagakure was quick to recover. “And now for the exchanging of the rings!”

The Dark Devas scampered up to the bride and groom, bowing after they had picked up the rings. They then returned to Sonia’s side. Mahiru was sure she had heard Gundam say something from the audience, something like, “Those are my dark gods. _My_ dark gods.”

Fuyuhiko and Peko slid their rings onto the other’s finger, a look of fondness painting both their faces. There were a few flashes – Mahiru’s mother taking photographs from her seat. She had been adamant on documenting the whole ceremony, especially since Mahiru was in no position to take the photos herself.

Once they were finished, Hagakure continued. “Do you, Kuzuryuu Fuyuhiko, take Pekoyama Peko to be your lawfully wedded wife?”

“I do.”

“And do you, Pekoyama Peko, take Kuzuryuu Fuyuhiko to be your lawfully wedded husband?”

“I do.”

Hagakure raised his arms. “We’re not going to bother with the ‘if there is any reason these two should not be together’ blah, blah since she has a sword and he control the damn mafia. So! You may now kiss the bride.”

And Fuyuhiko did.

 

* * *

 

The reception was held at the hotel’s dining area, the tables moved so everyone was facing the wedding party. Teruteru had been preparing food since that morning, stopping only to watch the ceremony before returning to the kitchen. He had been ecstatic about preparing a wedding feast, and it showed in how much food he put on the table. They would have leftovers for weeks to come.

After everyone was settled in their seats with food on their plates, Hajime stood up, hitting his spoon against the glass. “Time for a toast!”

Once everyone’s eyes were on him, be spoke again. “Well, we’ve been through a whole lot, but honestly? That’s really not relevant right now. What is relevant is that we were able to see a wedding between two people who clearly love each other during these times. The fact that we can all be here together is what counts, and what better way to celebrate that than through a wedding. I know this speech isn’t the best, but I hope I did well since my original one I wrote down was destroyed by accident.”

He sent Nagito a look. The luckster slid down in his chair. Laughter rippled throughout the audience.

“To the bride and the groom!” Hajime raised his glass, everyone falling suit.

Then the party really began.

After everyone had finished eating, everyone moved to the middle of the room, which had become the makeshift dancefloor. Fuyuhiko and Peko had convinced Ibuki not to play the music for this portion of the day, insisting that she just relax and have fun with everyone else. Instead, Hagakure had brought a CD player and let everyone pick their own songs.

The sun was beginning to set by this time and Mahiru was shocked at how much time had passed. It had been a long and tiring day, but also one of fun and laughter. It was nice to think back on how far they had come.

Taking a break from the dancing (at least the bridesmaids weren’t required to wear heels), she instead stood at the side of the room, drinking out of her glass as she watched those on the dancefloor.

Peko and Fuyuhiko were in the middle, standing out like a pair of sore thumbs, but that was how it was supposed to be. The yakuza members were dancing wildly around them, most of them drunk. Hajime and Nagito were awkwardly trying to dance in a corner of the room, Nagito constantly stepping on Hajime’s toes, apologizing profusely. Akane and Nekomaru were having a dance competition, though nobody could tell who was winning, even if Akane’s siblings were all insisting she was. Mahiru smiled as Hiyoko and her father waltzed past.

“It’s been a fun day, hasn’t it?”

Mahiru hadn’t noticed Kazuichi until he spoke. He had taken his beanie off for the ceremony only to put it back on for the reception. He looked ridiculous, but she couldn’t help but feel reassured that it was actually him when he had the beanie on.

“Yeah, it has,” she said. “You only danced with me twice, though. I’m offended.”

Kazuichi laughed softly. “Sorry. Mum insisted, then _your_ mum insisted, then Ibuki caught me and pretty much dragged me around the floor. I think she’s made it her mission to dance with everyone. I was just dancing with mum, though. She needed a break.”

Mahiru smiled. During the past few months, Kazuichi and his mother had talked everything over and were now on the path of being a proper family. He was calling her his mother now at the very least, though she knew it was hard for him to get used to. At the beginning he had come to her with his insecurities about this new development and she had promised to support him no matter his decision. She was glad he had given it a shot.

“It’s bouquet throwing time!” someone squealed. Ibuki’s friend, it seemed.

Sending a smirk Kazuichi’s way, Mahiru walked over to where the gaggle of girls were. Every female in the vicinity was standing in the centre of the room, facing Peko’s back. Mahiru knew Peko had a good amount of strength within her, so it was very likely that the bouquet would hit the back wall without any of them catching it, but someone would have to pick it up eventually.

“What’s this throwing thing about?” Akane asked, appearing beside Mahiru. “Is it some kind of sport?”

Mahiru laughed, shaking her head. “No, it’s a western tradition. The bride throws the bouquet backwards and whoever catches it first is said to be married next.”

Akane nodded slowly. “So… It’s a competition?”

Mahiru didn’t like the look of the grin that had made its way onto Akane’s face, but before she could say anything, the crowd began to count down. “Three, two, one, throw!”

Some girls at the front, Sonia included, jumped up to try and catch the bouquet as it sailed through the air, but it was too high for them. It really did look like it was going to hit the back wall until Mahiru felt a weight on her shoulder. Looking around, her eyes bugged out of her head.

“Akane, what are you doing?!”

The gymnast had one hand on Mahiru’s shoulder, the other on Asahina’s. Her expression was one of determination as she responded, “I’m gonna win!”

And just like that, she flipped upwards, the skirt of her dress falling as she pushed all her weight on her hands. The bouquet came their way and Akane caught it – right between her feet. There were wolf whistles in the audience and the boys were clapping Nekomaru on the back. The man himself didn’t look too concerned. In fact, he was laughing louder than anyone.

Akane landed perfectly, the bouquet still between her ankles. She grinned. “You guys know how much I hate to lose!”

Mahiru watched with a smile as Kazuichi walked over to her. “Bad luck you didn’t get the bouquet.”

She raised an eyebrow. “Did you want me to?”

He answered her by laughing, which wasn’t really an answer, but she liked the sound of it nonetheless. He offered her his hand. “Wanna dance, milady?”

“Well, since you asked so nicely,” Mahiru said, taking his hand and moving further into the fray.

 

* * *

 

It was a week later that Kazuichi called Mahiru and Hiyoko into his factory workspace, saying he had a surprise for them only to make them wait by the door so he could find it. This didn’t sit well with Hiyoko, who had no clue what was happening.

“This better not be a trick, you ass!” she called.

Kazuichi’s laughter sounded from deep inside the factory. “Trust me, it’s not. Okay, we’re coming to the door now.”

Hiyoko looked like she had just eaten a lemon. “We? Who’s _we_? If you’re cheating on Mahiru I’m gonna bop you on the head!”

“He’s not cheating on me, Hiyoko,” Mahiru said. She already had a feeling of what was coming.

Her suspicions were confirmed as Kazuichi reappeared with a woman by his side. She was of average height, a backpack strapped over her shoulders. A dark coloured cat hoodie covered her white shirt and part of her skirt. It was easy to recognize her with the game console in her hands.

Hiyoko’s jaw was practically on the floor. “Nanami?! I thought you were fucking dead! What the fuck?”

Chiaki smiled. She moved and had the same expressions as a real person. “You’ve grown taller, Saionji-san. Age looks good on you.” She even spoke like a real person, her voice just as Mahiru had remembered it. She was truly the same as she had been before. “And Koizumi-san, you’re growing your hair out. You kind of look like… Oh, what was her name again? She’s from those interactive visual novels…”

Yep, she was the same old Chiaki.

“So, do you think the others will like her?”

Mahiru smiled. “They’ll love her.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HERE WE ARE GUYS, IT'S THE END! It's bittersweet. //Creys.
> 
> Be on the look out for a fic that I'm _probably_ going to call Awareness. That will be the story of all of them waking up, sans Mahiru (obviously) and Hiyoko, since we just saw her wake up. But yeah, that shall be a thing!
> 
> Semi-related to this fic will be a Fangan ronpa. It's kind of hinted at a while back, chapter 12 for those wondering, but I'm gonna keep those secrets to myself, muhahahaha.
> 
> I hope you enjoyed reading this, since I had so much fun writing it!


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